New York, Jan 29, 2026, 16:43 EST
- Robinhood is part of a $45 million Series B extension backing crypto trading technology firm Talos
- Talos says the extension pushes its total Series B funding to $150 million, putting its valuation around $1.5 billion
- Talos confirmed that stablecoins were used to settle a portion of the transaction
Robinhood Markets is boosting its stake in crypto trading tech firm Talos through a funding round that sets the company’s valuation near $1.5 billion. This move highlights the retail broker’s push further into the digital-asset trading infrastructure. Coindesk
The deal is significant now as the crypto battle moves away from flashy tokens toward execution quality — focusing on liquidity, spreads, and settlement. Robinhood earned its reputation on smooth, low-friction trading, and upgrading its infrastructure is a key step to keep users active when markets turn volatile.
This comes amid a wider institutional effort to make crypto trading resemble traditional markets, emphasizing tighter controls and improved post-trade processing. Talos offers software that links institutions to trading platforms and manages workflows from execution through to settlement.
Talos announced a $45 million extension to its Series B round, attracting new strategic investors like Robinhood Markets, Sony Innovation Fund, IMC, QCP, and Karatage. Existing backers a16z crypto, BNY, and Fidelity Investments also participated. This latest infusion pushes Talos’s total Series B haul to $150 million, valuing the company at roughly $1.5 billion post-money. Yahoo
Talos CEO Anton Katz noted that strategic partners are stepping up as “traditional asset classes” move toward “digital rails.” Robinhood’s Johann Kerbrat said Talos enables the broker to “deepen our liquidity.” Meanwhile, Sony Ventures CEO Kazuhito Hadano highlighted Talos’s expansion from just “order execution” into wider trading and back-office services. Prnewswire
Talos revealed that part of the investment was settled with stablecoins — crypto tokens typically pegged to currencies like the U.S. dollar to maintain steady value. The company described this as further proof that blockchain-based payment systems are making inroads into institutional deals.
Talos revealed it will channel the fresh capital into boosting product development throughout its platform, covering portfolio construction, risk management, execution, treasury, and settlement tools. The company also aims to enhance support for traditional assets undergoing tokenization—turning them into blockchain-based tokens.
Talos reported it has nearly doubled both revenue and client numbers annually over the last two years. The company also spotlighted its RFQ — request-for-quote — platform, developed in collaboration with BlackRock traders using the Aladdin system. Its growth includes acquisitions like Coin Metrics and D3X Systems. Investor Jae Park from IMC called Talos a “preferred gateway” for institutions, while QCP founder Darius Sit noted that digital assets are evolving into “rails for broader capital markets.” Talos
Robinhood shares slipped roughly 2% in after-hours, closing near $101.24. Tipranks
Robinhood goes head-to-head with Coinbase and other platforms to capture U.S. crypto traders. Talos, meanwhile, faces stiff competition among institutional crypto infrastructure providers, battling names like Fireblocks and Copper.
But the bet faces familiar hurdles: crypto trading volumes often vanish quickly when prices fall, and trading tech budgets tend to be among the first to get cut. Broader adoption of stablecoins and tokenized assets also hinges on regulators and major institutions moving faster than they typically have.
