Robinhood is set to acquire Bitstamp, the world’s oldest crypto exchange, in a deal valued at $200 million.

This strategic acquisition aims to position Robinhood for international expansion beyond the U.S. Expected to close in the first half of 2025, the cash deal is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Barclays Capital Inc. advised Robinhood, while Galaxy Digital Partners LLC advised Bitstamp.

Founded in 2011, Bitstamp operates with over 50 global licenses and registrations. This acquisition will integrate Bitstamp's retail customers in the EU, UK, U.S., and Asia into Robinhood’s platform, and mark Robinhood's entry into the institutional crypto market. Johann Kerbrat, General Manager of Robinhood Crypto, highlighted Bitstamp’s resilience and strong reputation in the crypto space. “This acquisition is a major step in growing our crypto business and expanding our footprint outside of the U.S.,” Kerbrat said.

Bitstamp’s platform offers over 85 tradable assets and staking and lending products, which will enhance Robinhood’s crypto offerings. Bitstamp CEO JB Graftieaux emphasised the benefits of combining Bitstamp's expertise with Robinhood’s ecosystem to provide an enhanced trading experience while maintaining a commitment to compliance and security. The integration will see Bitstamp’s team join Robinhood, further strengthening the combined entity’s capabilities.

BNB All Time Highs🔺

$BNB, the native token of the BNB Chain ecosystem, has reached a new all-time high, breaking through the $700 mark late Tuesday.

The fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation saw its price surge over 11% in the past 24 hours, reaching $701, according to The Block's price page. This latest milestone surpasses BNB's previous peak of around $690, achieved in May 2021. In the last 24 hours, BNB trading volume hit approximately $3.3 billion, and the token now boasts a market cap of $107.2 billion.

BNB's impressive rally is largely attributed to the growing popularity of Binance Launchpool, which requires users to hold and stake $BNB to participate in new token offerings. Recently, Binance Launchpool announced support for Notcoin, a token that can be earned through a Web3 game on Telegram. Notcoin has quickly amassed a market capitalisation of $2.2 billion since its launch.

Additionally, the broader cryptocurrency market is showing positive momentum, with Bitcoin rising 2.89% to exceed $71,000, and other altcoins also experiencing gains.

Pump Dot $30m Revenue💊

The memecoin renaissance is in full swing, with Solana's Pump.fun emerging as a key player, generating over $30 million in revenue.

Over the past month, memecoins have dominated headlines: Roaring Kitty returned to X, Pump.fun faced a $1.9 million exploit by a former employee, and the iconic Shiba Inu Kabosu, the face of Dogecoin, passed away. The broader crypto market has also seen a boost, driven by the unexpected approval of the spot Ethereum ETF 19b-4 and optimistic U.S. inflation data. However, the past week has been particularly lively for memecoins.

PolitiFi, a new subsector featuring memecoins named after politicians, saw a surge in activity following former President Donald Trump's guilty verdict in his hush-money trial. Additionally, celebrities are making a comeback in the crypto world. Caitlyn Jenner launched her token on Pump.fun and later on Ethereum, using collected fees to support Trump. Rapper Iggy Azalea introduced her token $MOTHER on Solana, countering an attempt to launch an IGGY token.

Despite a recent exploit, Pump.fun bounced back, recording its highest single-day revenue of $1.48 million on May 30th. The platform’s success highlights the persistent enthusiasm for launching new memecoins, with nearly half a million tokens created on Solana in the past month alone. Since its inception, Pump.fun has amassed $31.8 million in revenue, solidifying its place in the memecoin ecosystem. This resurgence reflects a renewed interest in crypto, fueled by both market dynamics and high-profile endorsements. As the memecoin trend continues, platforms like Pump.fun are set to benefit from the ongoing excitement and speculative fervour.

Coinbase Smart Wallet 🔵

Coinbase has officially launched its innovative "smart wallet," aiming to tackle key challenges in the crypto space.

Announced earlier this year at EthDenver, the new wallet seeks to enhance user experience by simplifying complex onboarding processes, addressing network fees, and eliminating the need for recovery phrases.

"These next-generation wallets address the biggest pain points of the crypto experience today — complex onboarding, network fees, and recovery phrases — making the transition to onchain smoother than ever," Coinbase stated.

The new wallet allows users to create accounts using Face ID, Google Chrome profiles, fingerprints, or Yubikey, bypassing the traditional recovery phrases. Additionally, it resolves the issue of insufficient funds by enabling users to draw from both self-custodial and Coinbase account balances. A standout feature of the wallet is the introduction of gasless transactions. Through paymaster integrations, developers can sponsor transactions, making it easier for users to navigate network fees.

Supporting eight networks—Base, Ethereum, Optimism, Arbitrum, Polygon, Avalanche, BNB, and Zora—Coinbase plans to expand this list further. The launch of this smart wallet marks a significant step towards improving the crypto user experience and fostering broader adoption.

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