Which investors led a $135 million financing at US based app-focused neobroker Public?
What led to a multi-year high being hit by Robinhood shares – beyond Robinhood unveiling plans to expand its offering to clients in Asia?
What senior executive moves were seen at both retail and institutional FX and CFDs industry firms including Equiti Capital, XTB, Scope Prime, MultiBank, CFI, and Advanced Markets?
Some of the most read and commented-on FX/CFD industry news stories to appear over the past seven days on FNG included:
Top FX and CFDs industry news stories this week
Public announces new financing totalling $135M. Public.com today announced new financing totalling $135 million, including $105 million in equity financing and $30 million in debt. This round was led by Accel, which has led or co-led every funding round since Public launched in 2019. In September, Public celebrated its five-year anniversary, and it’s been nearly four years since its Series D. The latest financing round is a Series D-2 capital raise.
Robinhood shares soar topping IPO price on Bitcoin $100K, Asia expansion plans. Shares of US neobroker Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) hit a multi-year high on Wednesday, topping $40 for the first time since late 2021.Robinhood shares are up by more than 50% in the past month, and by more than 3x in 2024 year-to-date. HOOD also crossed an important psychological milestone on Wednesday, climbing above the company’s July 2021 $38 IPO price for the first time in more than three years.
21X gets BaFin license to launch the first EU regulated blockchain-based trading venue. Frankfurt based digital exchange startup 21X has announced that it has become the first ever entity to receive a license to operate a blockchain-based trading and settlement system that is fully regulated in accordance with EU law. 21X, now regulated as a financial institution following the award of this license, plans to launch its exchange for tokenized financial instruments from its Frankfurt headquarters in the first quarter of 2025.
Institutional FX trading volumes leap 10% in November as currency volatility soared. Following a couple of slow months leading up to the US elections in September and October, November 2024 saw a strong rebound in eFX trading volumes, as the (surprise?) result of Donald Trump being elected as President, alongside further uncertainty as to what the Fed will do with interest rates, led to heightened volatility in the currency markets – which almost always begets increased trading activity.
Top FX industry executive moves reported at FNG this week
❑ Exclusive: Advanced Markets hires Finalto exec Oksana Remez to head Business Development.
❑ Exclusive: Equiti Capital CEO Liam Conway departs.
❑ CFI launches operations in South Africa, hires Zihaad Israfil as SA CEO.
❑ GTN hires Chris Gregory as Europe CEO for newly FCA licensed entity.
❑ Exclusive: MultiBank Chief Data Officer Mahmoud Hammoud departs.
❑ IG / ThinkMarkets alum Kea Nonyana hired as Head of Scope Prime Africa.
❑ Exclusive: XTB hires Theocharis Panayi as General Manager in Cyprus.
❑ Britannia hires LSEG / TP ICAP alum Martin Ryan as COO.
❑ Revolut UK adds former Lord Mayor Sir Peter Estlin, KPMG alum Fiona Fry to its Board.
❑ Muinmos expands into MENA hiring Plugit exec Nadeem Sa’adeh.
