Robinhood and Bybit are pursuing international expansion as competition grows across regulated financial markets.
Robinhood plans to enter the Middle East, while Dubai-based Bybit explores opportunities in the United States. Both companies are targeting new investors through brokerage services, digital assets, and wider market access.
Their expansion strategies highlight the growing connection between traditional investing platforms and cryptocurrency exchanges.
Robinhood secures Dubai license for 2027 Middle East launch
Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) has secured approval from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to launch its retail investing platform.
The company plans to begin serving Middle Eastern investors in 2027 through the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
The license covers trading and custody services across all 10 asset classes permitted by the regulator. These include equities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), cryptocurrencies, and investment tokens.
Robinhood appointed Salah Kaddoura as senior executive officer and president of Robinhood MENA. He will oversee operations from the company’s new regional headquarters within the DIFC.
Robinhood Chairman and CEO Vlad Tenev described the DIFC as one of the world’s most important financial hubs.
The Dubai approval follows Robinhood’s broader international expansion throughout 2026.
The company entered Asia-Pacific through Singapore in April and acquired Canadian cryptocurrency platform WonderFi in June.
According to Robinhood’s July expansion update, the brokerage served nearly 28 million customers across 38 countries.
Meanwhile, DIFC reported 72 authorized brokerage firms as of March 31, 2026.
Competition continues to grow, with Revolut receiving in-principle approval from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in July.
Local investing platform Baraka followed in September. Earlier entrants included eToro in November 2023 and Interactive Brokers in 2024.
Bybit considers US entry through existing brokerage
While Robinhood expands into Dubai, cryptocurrency exchange Bybit is considering an entry into the United States.
Bybit CEO Ben Zhou is reportedly exploring partnerships with existing American brokerage firms to establish a regulated market presence.
Interactive Brokers has emerged as a possible partner, although Bybit has not confirmed any agreement or launch date.
The exchange established its international headquarters in Dubai in 2022 and continues strengthening its regional operations.
Bybit also secured a Virtual Asset Service Provider license from VARA for spot exchange services.
Zhou highlighted Dubai’s progress in developing regulatory frameworks for digital assets following the approval.
Meanwhile, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer Peter Loo indicated that Bybit intends to pursue additional licenses.
These could include derivatives trading permissions, subject to regulatory approval.
Bybit launches US stock trading ahead of potential expansion
Bybit introduced trading for more than 1,000 US-listed stocks and ETFs on October 12.
The platform allows eligible customers to fund stock purchases using the USDC stablecoin.
Alpaca Securities handles trade execution and custody, while Mauritius-regulated Infra Capital Limited serves as the introducing broker.
Alpaca also holds membership with FINRA and SIPC.
However, Bybit currently excludes US residents from accessing the service.
The offering differs from its stock contracts for difference, which debuted in June 2025.
Unlike CFDs, the newer service provides direct economic ownership of underlying shares.
Bybit reports more than 80 million users globally as it considers further expansion into regulated markets.
