Trading and investing platform eToro has rolled out its stock lending programme in the UK, allowing eligible users to earn passive income by lending out fully paid stocks. The programme follows earlier rollouts in Europe and the UAE and forms part of eToro’s plan to expand stock lending access to retail investors globally.The initiative, announced in April, expands eToro’s partnership with BNY, which acts as custodian and clearing provider, while stock lending platform EquiLend identifies borrowers and facilitates the lending process. UK Retail Investors Gain Stock LendingeToro said it is bringing a practice long dominated by large financial institutions to UK retail investors. “Launching stock lending in the UK is a key step in our mission to make passive income opportunities available to every investor,” said Yossi Brandes, VP Execution Services at eToro.The programme also expands eToro’s clearing and custody relationship with BNY, which provides the infrastructure for its fully funded stock and ETF offering across 19 global exchanges. Victor O’Laughlen, Executive Platform Owner – Global Clearing at BNY, said the collaboration combines the capabilities of eToro and EquiLend with BNY’s clearing services to “equip retail investors with an institutional-grade solution to support their investing journey.”BNY, Canada Bank Launch EquiLend PlatformBNY and the National Bank of Canada have gone live with EquiLend’s 1Source platform, a blockchain-based system that reduces manual reconciliation in securities lending by maintaining synchronized transaction records and automating lifecycle events such as recalls and rate adjustments. The platform currently covers North American equities, with plans to expand to corporate bonds and European markets. eToro has used EquiLend for six months to support its UK and European stock lending programme. The system could save the industry hundreds of millions annually through improved efficiency and fewer settlement failures. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

Revolut Business has opened a waitlist for a new corporate card set to launch in the UK early next year. The Visa-powered product targets companies with international operations by combining spend management tools with travel, data and subscription benefits.Product Launch and PricingAccording to the fintech giant, Titan will launch for Revolut Business customers in the UK at a price of £65 plus VAT per user per month. The announcement follows Revolut Business surpassing 1 billion dollars in annualized revenue earlier this year.The Titan countdown begins. Our most exclusive and rewarding card yet. Get early access — the Titan waitlist is now open in the UK: https://t.co/2i53U3w51J pic.twitter.com/ANfO8IN5dI— Revolut Business (@RevolutBusiness) December 4, 2025Titan runs on the existing Revolut Business platform and adds integrated expense tools. Features reportedly include real-time expense tracking, automated receipt matching and support for simpler reconciliation to reduce manual administrative work for finance teams.The card includes unlimited complimentary access to airport lounges for cardholders. It also offers travel insurance that covers delays and lost luggage, and provides a monthly 10 GB global data allowance usable in more than 190 countries.Titan gives access to business-focused subscriptions worth up to £4,000 annually per user. Named partners include WeWork, Perplexity, Masterclass, NordVPN and Headway.Eligible Revolut Business customers on the Titan waitlist will receive 10,000 bonus RevPoints for every team member who joins Titan within 30 days of launch and stays enrolled for at least 14 days. Customers on the waitlist will receive advance notice before the card becomes available.Regulators Delay Full Banking License ApprovalLast year, Revolut partnered with Visa to enable instant card transfers for its business customers through the Visa Direct system. The collaboration sought to speed up cross-border transactions by removing delays and administrative hurdles tied to international payments.It involved the integration of Visa Direct into Revolut’s business platform to allow companies to send funds to more than 78 countries in under 30 minutes. The service supports over 50 currencies.Despite making inroads in the card payment space, the fintech giant’s ambitions in the banking space remain on hold. UK regulators recently delayed Revolut’s full banking license approval due to concerns over its risk controls linked to rapid international expansion. The Prudential Regulation Authority granted the fintech a restricted license last year following a three-year wait, allowing it to hold up to £50,000 in total customer deposits under a “mobilisation” phase that typically lasts 12 months. Revolut has remained in this phase for 14 months now. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

Hedva Ber, eToro’s Global Chief Operations Officer and Deputy CEO, has filed to sell 94,000 shares of eToro Group. The shares are valued at approximately $3.95 million at current market prices. The filing was submitted today (Tuesday).eToro Insider Plans Multi-Million Stock SaleThe shares were acquired through eToro’s employee stock option plans. Sixteen thousand shares were acquired in January 2021, and 78,000 shares in July 2023. Payment for the exercised options was made in cash yestereday.The sale was reported via a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The filings indicate an intent to sell rather than a completed transaction. Sales must comply with SEC rules regarding volume, timing, and manner of sale. Such filings are routine for company insiders, but they provide the market with insight into planned stock movements.Ber has been with eToro for over five years, according to her LinkedIn profile. She initially joined as a part-time consultant for a few months before taking on the role of Global COO and Deputy CEO, which she has held for nearly five years. She also held part-time roles outside eToro, serving on the advisory board for Wix Payments for over a year and as a board member at Mimun Yashir for about seven months.Plus500 COO Purchases Over £1 Million SharesInsider transactions continue across the sector. Alon Cohen Naznin, Group COO of Plus500, purchased over £1 million worth of the broker’s shares in a single transaction yesterday. Naznin has been with Plus500 for almost a decade and has held the COO role for more than five years. The shares have gained about 31 per cent since the start of the year and doubled over the past five years.Company Reports $215 Million Third‑Quarter ContributionThe last recorded trade for eToro shares yesterday was at US$41.88, a slight decline of 0.16 percent from the previous close. This reflects the most recent transaction during trading and does not necessarily indicate broader market trends. Pre‑market and after‑hours activity may differ due to lower liquidity and wider bid‑ask spreads, so actual trading prices in the regular session could vary. The company recently reported third‑quarter results, with a net contribution of $215 million, up 28 percent year‑on‑year, and announced a $150 million share buyback program. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

Wise has secured conditional approval from the South African Reserve Bank to operate in the country, marking the company’s first regulatory license in Africa. The UK-listed fintech can now offer personal money transfers in South Africa, joining a market where demand for faster, cheaper, and more transparent cross-border payments is growing.Global fintech firm Wise has secured conditional approval from the South African Reserve Bank (SARB). The licence allows Wise to operate as a Category 2 Authorised Dealer in Foreign Exchange with Limited Authority.Click the link in our bio for more information. Read more:… pic.twitter.com/3xnPCfgyul— Business Tech Africa (@BusinessTech_SA) December 1, 2025Regulatory Nod Gives Wise First African FootprintCommenting about the expansion, the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says: “Wise’s expansion into South Africa not only strengthens ties with one of Africa’s most dynamic economies but also showcases British excellence in building solutions that make life better for people and business worldwide, both at home and abroad.“This is yet another example of a thriving UK business expanding internationally, that success is good for British jobs, good for growth and good for business.”The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) approved Wise as a Category 2 Authorized Dealer in Foreign Exchange with Limited Authority (ADLA). The license allows the firm to provide cross-border payment services once final conditions are met.South Africa, the continent’s largest economy, handles significant international money flows, driven by a large diaspora and growing digital adoption. Wise’s entry aims to reduce fees, increase speed, and improve transparency compared to traditional providers.Wise Expands GloballyThe latest authorization adds to Wise’s growing global presence, which now includes more than 70 regulatory approvals worldwide. The company recently received in-principle approval to operate in India as a payment aggregator, obtained a retail payments license in the UAE, and became the first non-bank to go live on Japan’s Zengin payment network.Last month, Wise reported £658 million in revenue for the first half of 2025, up 11% year on year. Its pre-tax profit, however, declined 13% to £254.6 million. The company has reportedly been exploring the possibility of applying for a banking license in the United Kingdom. The Times recently reported that the company has contacted senior figures in the financial sector in recent months about roles related to a potential banking operation.If granted a license, Wise would join Revolut, which received a UK banking license from the Prudential Regulation Authority last year. Revolut’s license included restrictions, enabling the London-based firm to gradually build its banking operations ahead of a full-scale launch. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

Robinhood shares (NASDAQ: HOOD) climbed more than 10% yesterday (Wednesday) after the retail brokerage announced plans to launch its own futures and derivatives exchange. The move signals a deepening push into prediction markets, which has become the company's fastest-growing revenue source.Until now, the fintech had been expanding its offering through Kalshi, generating more than 50 percent of the platform’s trading volume. By launching its own exchange, Robinhood can list contracts directly instead of relying solely on distributing Kalshi’s products.Robinhood Shares Jump 11% on Derivatives Exchange DealThe brokerage is partnering with Susquehanna International Group to acquire a 90% stake in MIAXdx, a derivatives platform previously known as LedgerX. Miami International Holdings, which currently owns the exchange, will retain a 10% interest in the venture. Robinhood will control the new entity, while Susquehanna provides liquidity on day one.The stock closed at $128.20, up nearly 11%, making it the top performer in the S&P 500 on Wednesday. Shares have climbed 215% this year, the second-best showing in the index.Robinhood’s shares appear to be consolidating near the all-time highs tested in early October, around 154 dollars. A move back above the 50-day EMA could give the company room to retest those levels.Users Bet on Everything From NFL Games to Fed DecisionsRobinhood launched prediction market contracts in March through a partnership with Kalshi, just ahead of the NCAA basketball tournament. Users can now wager on outcomes ranging from sports results to Federal Reserve interest rate moves.More than 9 billion contracts have traded on the platform since launch, with over 1 million customers participating. The company reported 2.3 billion event contracts traded in the third quarter alone, more than double the volume in the previous quarter.“Robinhood is seeing strong customer demand for prediction markets, and we're excited to build on that momentum,” said JB Mackenzie, the company's general manager for futures and international.Street Sees Revenue Windfall From Betting BoomBernstein analysts estimate Robinhood's prediction market business is on track to generate over $300 million in annualized revenue. The firm maintains a Buy rating with a $160 price target, the highest on Wall Street.“With HOOD already accounting for more than 50% of Kalshi market volumes, we believe HOOD wants to leverage its distribution edge to claim a higher share of the market revenue pool,” Bernstein analyst Gautam Chhugani wrote on Wednesday.The new exchange will allow Robinhood to list and clear contracts directly rather than rely solely on its Kalshi partnership. Analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald noted that the CFTC licenses acquired through MIAXdx will also allow the company to offer traditional futures and options products.Rivals Race to Capture Growing MarketThe move comes as prediction markets attract surging interest from both crypto and fintech firms. Kalshi logged $4.47 billion in trading volume over the past month, while rival Polymarket reported $3.58 billion.Crypto.com recently launched its own prediction market and plans to integrate Trump Media, while Gemini has filed for regulatory approval to open a similar marketplace. Reports suggest that Coinbase is also exploring an entry into the space.The exchange is expected to begin operations in 2026 following completion of the MIAXdx acquisition. Robinhood plans to make the platform available to other brokerage firms, not just its own customers. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Nasdaq has expanded its regulatory technology agreement with Revolut, deploying the AxiomSL reporting platform across the fintech's European operations as the company pushes into new markets.Nasdaq Taps Revolut for RegTech ExpansionRevolut consolidated most of its regulatory reporting infrastructure in Europe and recently integrated all workflows in the United Kingdom onto the Nasdaq system. The deal gives the $75 billion fintech access to a cloud-based managed service that handles compliance filings across different countries, replacing separate reporting frameworks that previously operated independently."As we expand our global footprint, we are committed to ensuring our underlying infrastructure scales with us and strengthens our ability to operate," Murray Laister, Head of Group Regulatory Reporting at Revolut, said in a statement."Our partnership with Nasdaq offers the flexibility, transparency and control to meet regulatory expectations across jurisdictions- without slowing down innovation and growth."Platform Handles Multi-Country ComplianceThe AxiomSL system centralizes data from across Revolut's operations and manages reporting requirements that vary by country. Nasdaq operates the infrastructure as a managed service, meaning its staff track regulatory changes in different jurisdictions and maintain the system without direct involvement from Revolut teams.The platform is used by 90% of global systemically important banks for domestic and international regulatory obligations. These institutions face pressure from regulators to automate compliance processes and maintain consistent data across multiple jurisdictions with different accounting rules.“Revolut is at the forefront of digital banking transformation, and we’re excited to support their journey,” said Ed Probst, Head of Regulatory Technology at Nasdaq.The managed service model lets companies focus on core business while staying compliant as the platform incorporates new rules and provides ongoing support.Revolut Pushes Into New MarketsRevolut received a British banking license in September 2024, though with restrictions during a mobilization phase. The company reported 50 million registered users globally by the end of 2024 and secured a payments license in India in April 2025.The fintech plans to launch as a bank in Mexico early next year and has advanced plans for Colombia and Argentina, with another bank license application expected in 2025. In May 2025, Revolut announced a $1.1 billion investment over three years to expand in France and established Paris as its Western European headquarters.Nasdaq serves more than 135 market infrastructure providers, 35 central banks and regulatory authorities, and 3,800 clients across financial services. The company provides platforms for data, analytics, software, and exchange capabilities to institutions navigating global capital markets. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Revolut, the digital-bank darling posts a private valuation of $75 billion after a share sale, putting it ahead of legacy titans such as Barclays, NatWest and Deutsche Bank.The $75 Billion DropOn November 24, 2025, fintech juggernaut Revolut announced it had completed a secondary share sale that values the company at an eye-watering $75 billion. In British-centric money terms, that translates to roughly £57 billion.This is no small bump. In August 2024, Revolut’s valuation stood at about $45 billion. The latest mark thus represents a 66 to 67 per cent leap in just over a year.It’s official — we’ve secured a $75 billion company valuation.This (still) makes us Europe’s most valuable private company and in the top 10 of the world's most valuable private companies. pic.twitter.com/rNgJteE6OA— Revolut (@Revolut) November 24, 2025The share sale was not about raising new funds from scratch. Rather, it provided an exit route for early investors and employees to cash out, effectively marking how much the market now values their stakes.Bigger Than BarclaysThat $75 billion price-tag does more than just pop eyeballs. It puts Revolut on a pedestal, above some of Europe’s biggest, most storied banks. Analysts and commentators have explicitly compared the valuation to that of major lenders like Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group and even Deutsche Bank.That puts Revolut in rarefied air. A ten-year-old app-born startup now dwarfs institutions that have shaped banking for centuries.UK's @MoltenVentures considers selling more Revolut shares. CEO Ben Wilkinson told City AM:“The people investing at $75bn will be looking for at least a 2x return…so the expectation that they’re underwriting is that this can go beyond $100bn.“But for us, given it’s a large… pic.twitter.com/iP6edFOT6n— Max Karpis (@maxkarpis) November 26, 2025Why Investors Are Throwing Money at RevolutWhat’s driving this surge in value? It is not magic. Several very solid signals.Revenue & Profit Growth: Revolut’s pretax profit topped £1.1 billion in the last fiscal cycle. That kind of profitability combined with a global user base, estimated at over 65 million users in 2025, gets serious attention.Investor Confidence and Big-Name Backers: The secondary share sale brought in heavy hitters such as Coatue Management, Greenoaks Capital, Dragoneer Investment Group, and Fidelity Management & Research Company. Even the venture arm of technology powerhouse Nvidia jumped on board.Fintech Appeal: As banking migrates to apps and services that combine payments, banking, crypto-trading, transfers and budgeting, Revolut seems positioned right at the crossroads of the future. That makes it not just a bank alternative but a potential global financial platform.Taken together those factors make investors comfortable betting at valuation levels that would make many public banks sweat.But All That Glitters Isn’t GoldValuation and hype are one thing. Long-term banking credibility is another. As impressive as the numbers are, Revolut still has important boxes to check.Despite its growth, Revolut does not yet operate as a fully fledged UK bank. Its banking license remains in a “mobilization phase,” simple signals that regulatory approval does not yet translate to full banking maturity.Also, many customers still do not treat their Revolut account as their primary banking account. That reduces the argument that Revolut has usurped traditional banks. Changing entrenched habits takes time and trust, two things that even a high valuation cannot guarantee. Finally, much of Revolut’s profit seems tied to trading fees, crypto transactions, card fees and interest income from higher rates. Those revenue streams can be volatile. If macroeconomic conditions change, or crypto traffic cools off, Revolut will need more stable fundamentals, deposits, loans, mortgages, to back up that sky-high valuation.What This Means for Banks, Fintech and the FutureFor traditional banks, Revolut’s meteoric rise is a warning sign: if a ten-year-old fintech can attract more investor money than century-old institutions, it underscores a shift in how money is managed, stored and moved.For fintech, Revolut’s valuation confirms there is still massive upside. For global investors, digital-first, lean, cross-border platforms look like a safer, faster bet than slow-moving legacy banks.For Revolut itself, the challenge now is converting this valuation into long-term, stable banking infrastructure. If it can snag a full license, expand deposit bases, offer loans and mortgages, then that $75 billion evaluation will start to feel less like conjecture and more like a foundation for a real banking giant.If not, it might just go down as one of the boldest, and most expensive, fintech bets ever placed.For more stories making the rounds in finance and fintech, visit our Trending pages. This article was written by Louis Parks at www.financemagnates.com.

Robinhood is expanding deeper into the world of prediction markets and derivatives, with the trading app reporting rapid user uptake in its new contracts and announcing plans to operate a regulated futures and derivatives exchange.Prediction Market Volumes on Robinhood Hit MilestonesSince unveiling prediction market contracts in March, the publicly listed (NASDAQ: HOOD) retail trading platform says more than nine billion contracts have changed hands, with over one million users taking part on its platform. JB Mackenzie, Robinhood’s general manager of futures and international, credited “strong customer demand” and signaled plans to grow the offering into a broader financial marketplace.“Our investment in infrastructure will position us to deliver an even better experience and more innovative products for customers.”The prediction market surge comes at a time when similar platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket are reporting record trading volumes. Kalshi, which also partners with Robinhood, logged about $4.47 billion in trading over the past month, while Polymarket reported $3.58 billion for the same period, as retail investors increasingly use these venues to speculate on real-world events.Derivatives Exchange to Launch In 2026Looking to capitalize on this trend, Robinhood will roll out a new futures and derivatives exchange in 2026, becoming the controlling owner and leading market maker. The launch will follow Robinhood’s planned acquisition of MIAXdx, a licensed exchange and clearinghouse regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and brings in Susquehanna International Group as the initial liquidity provider.Robinhood is introducing a new futures and derivatives exchange and clearinghouse, deepening our investment in Prediction Markets and better positioning us to deliver innovative products to our customers.More in our newsroom: https://t.co/Hqv6EMXZiD pic.twitter.com/JXDkp3c2Tr— Robinhood (@RobinhoodApp) November 25, 2025MIAX, the parent company of MIAXdx, is expected to retain a minority stake in the new venture. Robinhood will use the independent joint venture to serve other commission merchant platforms, aiming to “add more choices for consumers” and provide faster, broader access to market contracts.Industry Race to Capture Prediction Market GrowthRobinhood’s move comes as crypto and fintech competitors expand in the space. Crypto.com recently launched its prediction market, with integration plans involving Trump Media, while Gemini has filed for regulatory approval to open its own event contract marketplace. Public reports also suggest Coinbase is eyeing a similar entry.Industry analysts note that prediction markets, historically a niche, have emerged as one of 2025’s busiest corners of digital trading. The flourishing activity is driven by election-year speculation, new regulatory clarity, and demand for tradable event contracts, which bridge retail and institutional interest in non-traditional risk markets.New betting options, however, have less and less to do with investing. Now contracts cover everything from holiday sneaker releases and Supreme apparel to Pokémon card collections and Pop Mart Labubu figurines. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

eToro (NASDAQ: ETOR) rolled out crypto deposits in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), joining a handful of platforms in the region to let users move digital assets from external wallets and exchanges. In addition, local traders can benefit from the stock cashback program, the same one the company introduced in the UK and Europe a few weeks ago.eToro Sweetens Crypto Deposits With Stock Rewards in UAEUAE users can now transfer nine cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, USDC, Chainlink, Aave, Uniswap, Polygon, and Fetch.ai, into their eToro Crypto Wallet before converting those holdings to US dollars for trading across the platform. To promote the new feature, the company is offering 1% back in UAE-listed stocks on conversions, capped at $1,000 monthly through March 31, 2026."Many younger users began investing through crypto, and are now looking for simple, seamless ways to diversify into other asset classes," Doron Rosenblum, executive vice president of business solutions at eToro, said. Users must opt into the program and select from a monthly list of stocks trading on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange or Dubai Financial Market.Digital Assets Generate Nine-Tenths of RevenueThe UAE launch extends a broader push by eToro to funnel crypto gains into traditional markets as digital asset trading dominates company revenue. Cryptocurrency accounted for $1.91 billion of the platform's $2.09 billion in second-quarter revenue, or 91 percent of the total. Equities and commodities brought in just $114 million during the same period.Crypto trades jumped 49 percent year-over-year to 10.7 million transactions in July and August, with average trade size nearly doubling to $345. Traditional capital markets activity showed 3 percent growth, reaching 87.7 million equity and commodity trades with average sizes climbing 4 percent to $273.The concentration has held steady through 2025. Crypto represented 93 percent of eToro's $3.76 billion in first-quarter revenue before dipping slightly to 91 percent in the third quarter. Assets under administration reached $19.7 billion in August, up 77 percent from the previous year, while funded accounts grew 15 percent to 3.69 million.Rewards Program Debuts After European RollouteToro first launched the stock cashback model in the UK and Europe on November 6, offering 1 percent back in British or European equities when users deposit and convert crypto to pounds or euros. The promotion runs through the same March deadline with monthly caps of £1,000 for UK customers and €1,000 for European users.The company expanded eligible cryptocurrencies beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum in both markets, adding the same seven tokens now available in the UAE. George Naddaf, managing director of eToro MENA, said more than 90 percent of UAE-based investors express confidence in the long-term performance of local companies.“This will give UAE investors more ways to connect their crypto investments to opportunities in the local market,” he added.eToro entered the UAE market in November 2023 after receiving approval from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market to operate as a broker for securities, derivatives, and cryptoassets. The platform added over 30 stocks from the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange in February 2025, representing 88 percent of the exchange's market capitalization.Deposits Build on Payment PartnershipsThe crypto deposit feature follows eToro's September partnership with Lean Technologies to enable instant AED bank transfers in the UAE. That integration let users link their eToro account to local banks for deposits completed in seconds without leaving the app.Earlier in November, eToro introduced a five-dollar monthly Club subscription providing 4 percent cashback, an AI analyst tool, and higher yields on crypto staking. The company has added local currency deposit options across European markets and integrated UAE PASS for streamlined onboarding as part of its regional expansion.Users must convert deposits within the promotion period and select stocks from eToro's monthly list to receive the 1 percent reward, which gets added directly to trading portfolios. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.