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Robinhood pushes deeper into Asia with Indonesia crypto and brokerage expansion

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Robinhood is accelerating its push into Asia as it prepares to enter Indonesia through the planned purchase of a local brokerage and a registered crypto platform.

The move signals a broader shift in its international growth strategy, with the company positioning Indonesia as a major entry point into Southeast Asia’s fast-growing retail investment economy.

The announcement on December 7 outlines a pathway to gaining an operational base in a region where digital finance demand is expanding, and investor participation continues to climb.

With millions of Indonesians already active in both capital markets and crypto, the deal sets up Robinhood for a large consumer market from day one.

Indonesia platform offers widens

Robinhood plans to acquire PT Buana Capital Sekuritas and PT Pedagang Aset Kripto, giving it a licensed route into both traditional and digital markets.

Indonesia has more than 19 million capital market investors and 17 million crypto users, making it one of Southeast Asia’s busiest retail investment hubs.

The company aims to build on existing local operations and introduce its global platform to new users once the transactions receive regulatory approval.

The acquisitions also give Robinhood an early advantage by combining a brokerage licence and a crypto trading licence in a single market entry.

The owner of both entities, Pieter Tanuri, will continue supporting the transition as a strategic advisor after closing.

Robinhood intends to keep Buana Capital’s current brokerage activities in place while preparing to connect Indonesian users to US equities, cryptocurrencies, and additional investment products.

Regulatory path ahead

Both deals are expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to approval from Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority.

Entering Indonesia with two regulated entities may allow Robinhood to expand faster than competitors that typically secure licences sequentially.

The structure also aligns with a strategic push toward markets where mobile-first investors dominate and where digital assets and stocks increasingly overlap in retail participation.

Indonesia has become a priority destination for global finance firms because its investment activity is being shaped by younger users adopting online platforms as their primary trading tool.

For Robinhood, a dual-licence entry could become a template for future regional expansion in markets where crypto and equities operate under distinct frameworks.

Robinhood shares rose about 1.2% in after-hours trading following the announcement.

The deal mirrors Robinhood’s broader plan to expand its global user base and strengthen its position in digital assets.

Indonesia’s retail community has been active across social platforms, with users discussing the country’s role in the wider Southeast Asian trading landscape.

Crypto network and event contracts expand

The move into Indonesia comes as Robinhood rolls out new products across its ecosystem.

Its custom layer-2 network built on Arbitrum now supports more than 900 tokenised US stocks, commodities, and exchange-traded funds, giving users the ability to trade around the clock.

Increased activity on this network has become central to the company’s wider crypto strategy.

Robinhood has also moved into prediction markets through its partnership with Kalshi.

The collaboration introduced NFL and college football event contracts, drawing significant user engagement and pushing the company’s shares higher earlier in the month.

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