Robinhood Markets is accelerating its expansion into Southeast Asia by entering Indonesia through the acquisition of two local financial firms, PT Buana Capital Sekuritas, a licensed brokerage, and PT Pedagang Aset Kripto, a regulated digital asset trading platform.
Patrick Chan, Robinhood’s Head of Asia, described Indonesia as "a fast-growing market for trading," highlighting the country’s potential to connect millions of retail investors to both traditional and digital markets.
With more than 19 million investors active in the capital markets and 17 million in cryptocurrencies, Indonesia has emerged as one of Southeast Asia’s most vibrant retail investment hubs.
Robinhood’s move taps directly into this growing user base, aiming to offer US equities, cryptocurrencies, and other investment products to Indonesian clients.
The country’s young, mobile-first investors and high digital adoption make it particularly attractive for platforms seeking rapid market entry.
By acquiring Buana Capital and Pedagang Aset Kripto, Robinhood avoids the delays of building operations from scratch.
Pieter Tanuri, the owner of both entities, will remain involved as a strategic advisor, supporting the transition and integration of Robinhood’s services.
Pieter Tanuri is a seasoned Indonesian entrepreneur and the owner of the Bali United Football Club, known in the crypto space for being the majority owner of PT Pedagang Aset Kripto.
The company plans to maintain Buana Capital’s current brokerage offerings while gradually introducing its full suite of investment products to the local market once the transactions receive regulatory approval, expected in the first half of 2026.
Combining a brokerage licence with a crypto trading licence provides Robinhood with a rare dual-authority entry into Indonesia.
This approach allows the firm to potentially expand faster than competitors who typically secure licences sequentially.
The strategy aligns with Robinhood’s broader international growth plan, focusing on markets where stock and digital asset trading increasingly overlap.
Data from Chainalysis ranks Indonesia seventh worldwide for cryptocurrency adoption in 2025, underlining the market’s scale and potential.
Total crypto transactions in the country reached over 650 trillion Indonesian rupiah, around 39.7 billion dollars, in 2024, a threefold increase from the previous year.
Analysts note that crypto and blockchain technologies are increasingly viewed as tools for financial inclusion, especially as nearly half of Indonesia’s adult population remains unbanked.
Beyond Indonesia, Robinhood is enhancing its product offerings globally.
Its custom layer-2 network on Arbitrum now supports over 900 tokenised US stocks, commodities, and ETFs, allowing users to trade 24/7.
Additionally, its entry into prediction markets through a partnership with Kalshi has attracted strong engagement, with nine billion contracts traded by more than one million users since March 2025.
JB Mackenzie, general manager of futures and international at Robinhood, noted that "prediction markets experience high demand from clients who are eager to be part of this success."
Robinhood, headquartered in Menlo Park, California, has already expanded into European and UK markets through acquisitions and strategic partnerships.
The Indonesia entry continues this pattern, offering a tested approach to combining local licences and established customer bases to accelerate regional growth.
Analysts suggest this dual-licence model may serve as a blueprint for Robinhood’s future expansions across Asia, particularly in markets with distinct regulatory frameworks for stocks and crypto.
Robinhood shares rose about 1.2% in after-hours trading following the announcement, reflecting investor optimism about the company’s growth strategy in Southeast Asia.
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