Robinhood (HOOD.US), the “home base of American retail investors”, enters Southeast Asia: acquires Indonesian brokerage firms and crypto traders, targets tens of millions of investors

The Zhitong Finance App learned that Robinhood (HOOD.US) said in a blog post on Sunday that it will acquire Indonesian brokerage firm Buana Capital Sekuritas and licensed digital asset trader Pedagang Aset Kripto, marking the retail trading platform's entry into one of Southeast Asia's major cryptocurrency hubs. Robinhood did not disclose the financial terms of the deal. It is expected that the transaction will be completed in the first half of 2026, and is still subject to regulatory approval from the Indonesian Financial Services Authority (OJK). The company said Pieter Tanuri, the majority shareholder of the two Indonesian companies, will continue to serve as Robinhood's strategic advisor.

Indonesia is one of the world's leading cryptocurrency adopters, thanks to its favorable regulatory environment and a young, tech-savvy population, making it a prime target market for US companies seeking to grow in Asia. The country has more than 19 million capital market investors and 17 million cryptocurrency traders, underscoring its appeal for stock and digital asset trading.

Patrick Chan, head of Robinhood's Asia region, said: “Indonesia is a rapidly growing trading market and an exciting place for Robinhood to further advance Robinhood's mission of making finance accessible to all.”

Acquisition brokerage firms can help companies more easily enter new markets, meet regulatory requirements, and establish market positions, while acquisitions of licensed digital asset traders can speed up access to cryptocurrency products. This has greatly reduced market entry barriers and time costs.

Robinhood's commission-free app platform is widely regarded as disrupting US retail trading, attracting a new generation of investors, and changing the way Americans participate in the stock market.

Robinhood currently does not provide services to Indonesian residents; the company currently serves customers in the US, UK, and Europe. Indonesian investors can't open a Robinhood account, even if they use a virtual private network (VPN), because opening an account requires proof of residency in the US. The current acquisition is to meet local regulatory requirements and establish a business in the country more efficiently than starting from scratch.

Expanding international markets can help open up new revenue streams. As Robinhood plans to gradually introduce its full suite of services (including US stock trading), it is expected to replicate its successful profit model in the US market (such as order flow payment PFOF) in Indonesia in the future.

The deal marks a new phase for the retail trading platform. Earlier this year, the platform was included in the S&P 500 Index and received wider market recognition. The company also announced its entry into the prediction market in March. The company was listed in New York in 2021, and its stock price has risen more than 260% since 2025.