Ethereum (ETH) is down by 11% since recording a swing high of $2,700 on March 29. Despite this drop, three different charts suggest that an Ethereum price rally to $4,000 may still be intact, and the momentum remains bullish. ETH price remains up by 27% in one month, with the price fluctuating between $2,400 and
Robinhood has agreed to pay $29.75 million to settle investigations by FINRA regarding its supervision and compliance practices. The settlement includes a $26 million fine and $3.75 million in restitution to customers.
Robinhood Failed to Manage Trading System During Activity Surge
FINRA found that Robinhood didn’t properly manage or oversee its system for processing trades, even though there were clear signs of delays in processing due to a huge increase in trading activity.
This happened between March 2020 and January 2021, which was the same time Robinhood restricted trading in popular meme stocks like GameStop and AMC Entertainment Holdings. In other words, Robinhood didn’t do enough to address the issues that were causing delays in its system, even though they could have seen it coming.
Robinhood failed to “respond to red flags of potential misconduct,” FINRA noted, leading to Anti-Money Laundering and supervisory and disclosure violations.
Robinhood Missed Suspicious Activities and Failed to Verify Accounts
FINRA found that Robinhood failed to detect, investigate suspicious activities, like manipulative trades, unusual money transfers, or cases where hackers took over customer accounts. Besides, Robinhood also opened thousands of accounts without properly checking customers’ identities. Because of these issues, Robinhood failed to set up strong Anti-Money Laundering programs, according to FINRA.
Robinhood also failed to properly monitor and keep records of social media posts, including those from paid influencers. Some of these posts were misleading or made unfair promises to investors.
The $3.75 million in restitution was because Robinhood gave customers incorrect or incomplete information when it changed market orders to limit orders, which impacted their trades.
Robinhood Agrees To FINRA’s Findings
Robinhood Financial and Robinhood Securities agreed to FINRA’s findings without admitting or denying the charges. This comes two months after the company settled for $45 million with the US securities regulator in January, following an investigation into violations of over 10 securities laws. Robinhood Financial and Robinhood Securities admitted to failing to maintain and preserve customer communications from 2020 to 2021.
Recently, in Q4 2024, Robinhood hit a record $916 million in net income and over $1 billion in revenue. Crypto revenue reached $358 million, a 200% increase, while crypto trading volumes jumped 450% to $71 billion.
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Robinhood has agreed to pay $29.75 million to settle investigations by FINRA regarding its supervision and compliance practices. The settlement includes a $26 million fine and $3.75 million in restitution to customers. Robinhood Failed to Manage Trading System During Activity Surge FINRA found that Robinhood didn’t properly manage or oversee its system for processing trades, …
Coinbase, the largest US-based crypto exchange, received regulatory approval from the CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) to launch XRP futures contracts through its derivatives arm.
This development marks a pivotal moment for institutional access to XRP altcoin, amid a broader derivatives market shakeup.
XRP Futures Now Live on Coinbase
Earlier in the month, Coinbase revealed its intention to bring regulated XRP futures to market, showing that it had filed for the offering with the CFTC. BeInCrypto reported that the US-based exchange filed to self-certify the product.
“We’re excited to announce that Coinbase Derivatives has filed with the CFTC to self-certify XRP futures—bringing a regulated, capital-efficient way to gain exposure to one of the most liquid digital assets,” read the announcement.
The firm anticipated the contract going live on April 21. During the late hours of the US session on Monday, Coinbase confirmed in a follow-up post that the product was live.
“Coinbase Derivatives, LLC now offers CFTC-regulated futures for XRP,” the exchange stated.
This approval suggests a fast-track endorsement by the CFTC, potentially opening the door to broader crypto derivatives activity in the US.
It is unsurprising that the agency has recently pivoted toward easing entry into the crypto derivatives sector. As BeInCrypto reported earlier this month, the CFTC rolled back several regulatory hurdles that had previously deterred traditional and crypto-native firms.
“As stated in today’s withdrawal letter, DCR [Division of Clearing and Risk] determined to withdraw the advisory to ensure that it does not suggest that its regulatory treatment of digital asset derivatives will vary from its treatment of other products,” the CFTC explained.
The changes simplify registration requirements and lower operational barriers for launching crypto derivatives products.
XRP Network Activity Soars 67.5%
With XRP historically maintaining high liquidity and a global user base, it represents a strong candidate for derivatives trading, especially in a newly liberalized environment.
Unlike more volatile mid-cap tokens, XRP benefits from a combination of legal clarity following the Ripple lawsuit outcome, broad exchange availability, and a sizable market cap. These elements make it attractive to institutional traders seeking capital-efficient exposure.
Recent on-chain data reveals a sharp uptick in network activity, further bolstering the case for XRP futures. Data shows XRP active addresses surged by 67.5% between April 19 and 20, ahead of Coinbase Derivatives’ XRP futures debut, climbing from 27,352 to 40,366.
The spike suggests growing engagement from retail and institutional participants, possibly in anticipation of expanded market access through derivatives.
Still, market sentiment around XRP remains mixed. Despite the regulatory milestone, XRP’s spot price has declined 1.26% in the past 24 hours, reflecting broader market consolidation and investor caution.
This suggests that while futures listings can enhance liquidity and price discovery over time, short-term price action often diverges from structural developments.
Coinbase’s move aligns with its broader strategy to position itself as a regulated gateway to crypto derivatives in the US. With the futures of Ethereum and Bitcoin already live, XRP has joined the lineup. This signals Coinbase’s confidence in XRP’s long-term viability despite lingering skepticism in parts of the US regulatory arena.
Charles Schwab, one of the largest brokerage firms in the United States, is preparing to launch a spot cryptocurrency trading platform within the next year.
This marks a major move by one of the most trusted names in traditional finance and shows that demand for crypto investment options continues to climb.
Charles Schwab Eyes Crypto Expansion
During a recent earnings call, Schwab CEO Rick Wurster said the firm is optimistic about upcoming regulatory changes that could allow it to fully enter crypto trading.
“Our expectation is that with the changing regulatory environment, we are hopeful and likely to be able to launch direct spot crypto and our goal is to do that in the next 12 months and we’re on a great path to be able to do that,” Wurster explained.
This move would allow the company to offer direct access to spot crypto trading and place it in direct competition with major players like Coinbase and Binance.
While the company already offers crypto-related products such as Bitcoin futures and crypto ETFs, the addition of direct trading would significantly expand its crypto portfolio. According to the CEO, engagement on these products has grown rapidly in recent months.
Wurster revealed that visits to the firm’s crypto-focused content have surged 400%. Of that traffic, 70% came from users who are not yet customers, showing a growing appetite for digital asset investments.
If these improvements continue, Schwab could debut its spot crypto trading platform before mid-2026. The firm believes its reputation in traditional finance gives it a strategic advantage in expanding into the crypto space.
Meanwhile, Schwab is already dipping its toes into the sector through its role as custodian for Truth.Fi, an upcoming digital investment platform launched by Trump Media and Technology Group. Truth.Fi plans to offer a mix of Bitcoin, separately managed accounts, and other crypto-linked products.
Indeed, Schwab’s potential entry into the sector has drawn attention from other industry leaders. Asset management firm Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley described the brokerage firm’s move as a milestone in crypto’s transition to mainstream finance.
Rachael Horwitz, Chief Marketing Officer at Haun Ventures, echoed that sentiment and encouraged Schwab to consider crypto-collateralized lending as a future offering.
“Schwab should implement crypto-collateralized lending as part of its banking services next,” Horwitz said.