Robinhood Markets, Inc. has recently been under the radar for investors, with the stock price jumping significantly in recent times. This increased positive sentiment is due to a set of the following key points, depicting the strategic response of the company and the market in general:

1. Cryptocurrency Market Tailwinds

Regulatory Clarity
Robinhood has always been an influential name in the sector of cryptocurrency trading. With international and local regulators setting clearer systems for crypto trading, companies with robust crypto platforms like Robinhood stand to gain from it. This can lead to a better environment for investors that may raise activity and revenue from trading. Increased regulatory acceptance of mainstream cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, will actually serve as a tailwind for Robinhood's crypto operations.

Institutional Adoption:
The institutional interest in cryptocurrencies is growing, which may bring volume to the markets. Major institutions are continuing to set budgeting for crypto assets. This reveals maturation of the market, where Robinhood's simplified and retail-focused approach may become a gateway for the institutional player seeking wider market reach, thereby increasing trading fees and liquidity.

2. Strategic Acquisitions and Partnerships

TradePMR Acquisition:
Acquiring TradePMR, a leading company in custodial and portfolio management solutions, is a strategic move towards expanding its suite of services. Such a purchase positions Robinhood to easily attract high net worth individuals and institutional clients needing high level financial tools. Integrate within the project TradePMR technology and thus offer complete asset management services beyond its traditional base of retail investors.

Partnerships and Collaborations:
Robinhood's strategic partnerships with prominent financial institutions and fintech companies further extend its service capabilities. These partnerships also can provide a wider suite of products, such as retirement accounts and options for advanced trading, that can attract a wider customer base. Technology partnerships will enable Robinhood to leverage new innovations in the areas of customer experience and operational efficiency.

3. Financial Performance

Diversifying Revenue:
Traditionally, Robinhood's revenue has come predominantly from the product of PFOF. In recent times, however, the firm has been aggressively working toward diversifying its revenues. Greater focus on options trading, cryptocurrency trading, and financial services such as cash management accounts has reduced dependency on any single source of income. The strategy of diversification not only stabilizes revenue but also positions Robinhood to capture growth in multiple financial sectors.

Cost Efficiency Initiatives:
To address profitability concerns, Robinhood has implemented cost-cutting measures, streamlining operations without compromising service quality. Initiatives such as workforce restructuring, technology optimization, and marketing spend efficiency contribute to better financial health. These efforts enhance investor confidence in the company's long-term viability.

4. Enhanced User Experience

User-Friendly Platform:
Robinhood's intuitive interface and commission-free trading model have revolutionized retail investing, particularly among younger, tech-savvy generations. This accessibility has democratized investing, attracting a broad and loyal user base. Additionally, Robinhood's educational resources empower new investors, fostering long-term customer relationships.

Innovative Features:
The growth strategy for Robinhood has innovation at its core continuously. Recent features like fractional shares, retirement accounts, and advanced charting tools have managed to fulfill all kinds of investor requirements. The introduction of Robinhood Gold - a premium subscription with enhanced data and research tools - adds value for the serious investor who looks for comprehensive market insights.

Market Sentiment and Considerations

While the outlook for Robinhood looks promising, one has to be aware of the volatility that the stock market can face, especially sectors such as fintech and cryptocurrency. Factors outside companies, like market conditions, interest rates, and changes in regulations, have consequences on how stocks will perform. The investor is, therefore, advised to carry out his own research, consulting even with professional financial advisors prior to making investment decisions.

As more and more money rushes into cryptocurrencies for a safe haven, it is only natural that the investment side of the crypto business is also starting to heat up as well. In the latest move, Intercontinental Exchange's Cryptocurrency Venture has agreed to acquisition by VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings, Inc. (ticker VIH). VIH is what is known as an SPAC or Special Purpose Acquisition Company. SPACs are shell companies whose only function is to acquire other companies and bring them onto the stock market.

Reverse Merger

Rather than going through the many regulatory hurdles of making an IPO under their own name, Intercontinental can spin off this part of their business and get it onto the exchange much faster and with less regulatory interference by allowing it to be "acquired" by an existing firm already listed on the exchange. The process is technically a reverse merger but a very specialized one that is distinct in almost everything except name.

Under a standard reverse merger format, ICE would spin off the crypto side of the business into a separate company, which would then be free to pursue its destiny any way it wants. Instead, ICE will retain a majority stake in the new venture, which will be known as Bakkt, while VIH will put upwards of 500 million dollars into the new enterprise in the form of marketing and product development.

Bakkt Killer App

The underlying purpose of the Bakkt venture is to create a killer app for consumer use of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets such as rewards points, loyalty bonuses, and even credits from video games. By folding all of these disparate programs into one easily-accessed processing point, the company hopes to gain a foothold in all things crypto no matter where they originate from.

The Winklevoss Brothers, Cameron and Tyler, have launched a stable coin today called the Gemini dollar after approval from New York regulators. The brothers are famous for the Gemini trading platform (created 4 years ago) in addition to work with Mark Zuckerberg in the early creation of Facebook (they got a settlement for their work). The coin has the approval of the NYDFS, the NY department of financial services.

The coins will be backed by US dollars, thus creating a coin that is more stable in price then others. This is Gemini’s first cryptocurrency coin. They have in the past tried to get an ETF approved for cryptocurrencies but have been rejected by the SEC. The coin is traded on the Ethereum network with the symbol (GUSD). You can easy convert between UDS and GUSD by depositing money into your Gemini account.

While looking for a good source of Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency information online, I came across Remivee and his site Tribetica.com. This is becoming one of my favorite sites for information on the new digital currencies that were the rage last year but have fallen sharply since the end of 2017. And that was one of the criteria that I was looking for, a source that was honest and not just hyping holding Bitcoin.

Taking a look at a post today illustrates the great content that you will find. An analysis of the current short positions in Bitcoin as traded on the Bitfinex market. Read the first paragraph and you will discover that bears have short positions rising from 17 thousand to 34 thousand over the past two weeks. A clear sign that you should not purchase more at the current levels. Although no recommendation is made, the bull position is also analyzed from a historic position. The long positions were built last year at the 6000 price and are hard to break through for the shorts. The shorts are at a all time high level and could lead to a short squeeze according to Remivee.

Here's an overview of the well known cryptocurrency exchange Binance...

Shining the Spotlight on Binance

At the moment, cryptocurrency investors have many exchanges at their disposal, with different options, so picking the right one is not an easy matter. Whether you're a crypto novice or seasoned digital currency investor, you should ensure that you use the best platform to optimize your profits from cryptocurrencies.

Binance is an exchange that is often mentioned by the mainstream media. It has rapidly acquired a big following and become one of the most famous digital currency exchanges around. Its' unprecedented rise is a large reason why lots of people are cautious about it, and want more information about whether they can trust it or not.

For this reason, I have chosen to provide the following Binance review!

Firstly, let's begin with a fundamental question...

Ethereum may represent the future of credit, according to the cryptocurrency's founder Vitalik Buterin.

Like most other cryptos, Ethereum is based on the blockchain, a system that allows the currency to be hack-proof while simultaneously allowing every coin to be traced back to its origin point. This provides a level of secure transparency that Buterin believes can revolutionize security and economics.

The biggest stumbling block at present is the speed at which crypto transactions are processed. Bitcoin, the most well known cryptocurrency, processes about three transactions per second, while Ethereum is a little faster at five. Uber provides 12 rides a second, suggesting that cryptocurrencies need to process transactions much faster for large-scale commercial applications.

The value of Bitcoin recently surpassed $2000.

The most famous cryptocurrency on the planet now has a per coin value of more than $2000. That is what several bitcoin exchanges are reporting, such as Kraken and Coinbase. This valuation indicates that the total bitcoin market cap (i.e. the total value of coins in use) is $32.92 billion.

This year, bitcoin has thrived - as this Coindesk chart reflects.

In 2013, bitcoin initially surpassed the $1000 valuation, however a range of variables - such as the problems experienced by Mount Gox (which was the leading exchange at the time) - meant that the currency dropped in value. Financial organizations tested blockchain and bitcoin based services during this period, and new Chinese regulations increased overall stability. This led to bitcoin returning to the $1000 mark by the end of 2016. Ever since, its' value has constantly grown throughout 2017.