Robinhood Makes Bold Move with Major Investment in Crypto Firm

Major Investment in Talos

Robinhood, a company deeply engaged in cryptocurrencies, actively expands its crypto offerings with frequent new listings. This week, Robinhood has demonstrated its belief in the crypto space’s potential by making a substantial investment in Talos, a New York-based crypto company valued at $1.5 billion.

Talos commenced a Series B financing round, having previously raised $105 million in last year’s series. At that time, Talos was valued at $1.25 billion, and with the latest investment, they have collected a total of $150 million, increasing their valuation correspondingly.

Talos offers crypto trading infrastructure to some of the world’s largest financial firms, serving hundreds of global clients. It collaborates with asset managers overseeing a total of more than $21 trillion in assets under management (AUM). As a major bridge between traditional finance and crypto, Talos’s ability to attract investment even in challenging times indicates that institutional confidence persists.

Perhaps in the aftermath of individual investors being largely sidelined, institutional investors might aid in restoring crypto to its former grandeur.

Global Giants Invest

Although Robinhood leads this investment, other new participants include industry giants such as a16z crypto, BNY, and Fidelity Investments, alongside Sony Innovation Fund, IMC, QCP, and Karatage. Anton Katz, CEO and co-founder of Talos, commented on the Series B extension, noting the interest from strategic partners recognizing Talos’s role in providing essential institutional infrastructure for crypto assets.

In the 2022 Series B investment round led by General Atlantic, companies like BNY, Citi, Wells Fargo Strategic Capital, and DRW Venture Capital, along with crypto-focused firms such as SCB 10x and LeadBlock Partners, played pivotal roles. Reflecting on 2022 could shed light on why institutions continue to invest in Talos today.

The crypto market experienced significant upheaval in 2022, with weakened faith in crypto’s future. Currently, prolonged dull market movements have further eroded confidence, particularly amongst individual investors, evident through lower search volumes and trading activities. While there is no crystal ball to predict the future, institutional investors’ retained faith suggests underlying reasons for their optimism. Time will reveal who made the right bet.