Catenaa, Saturday, July 11, 2026- Online trading platform eToro has taken a strategic stake in decentralized perpetual futures exchange Extended, strengthening its push into on-chain finance as global brokerage firms race to combine traditional investing with blockchain-based financial services.
The investment follows eToro’s acquisition of self-custody wallet provider Zengo earlier this year and forms part of a broader strategy to integrate regulated brokerage services with decentralized financial infrastructure.
Neither company disclosed the size of the investment, although industry reports indicate the funding round totaled approximately $12.5 million.
The partnership is expected to combine Extended’s decentralized derivatives platform with Zengo’s self-custody wallet technology, allowing investors to access on-chain financial products while maintaining direct control of their digital assets.
The transaction illustrates how traditional brokerage firms are rapidly expanding beyond conventional cryptocurrency trading.
Rather than limiting services to spot trading, firms are increasingly investing in blockchain infrastructure supporting derivatives, tokenized assets, decentralized finance and self-custody solutions.
Industry analysts view this shift as the next phase of competition among digital investment platforms seeking to offer comprehensive blockchain-based financial ecosystems.
Extended is a decentralized perpetual futures exchange built on the Starknet blockchain.
Founded by former Revolut executives, the platform offers more than 100 trading markets covering cryptocurrencies, equities, foreign exchange and commodities.
Integrating Extended with Zengo’s self-custody wallet would allow users to trade perpetual futures directly from wallets they control, reducing reliance on centralized custody while expanding access to decentralized financial markets.
The model reflects growing demand for services combining institutional-grade trading with self-custody.
When eToro acquired Zengo earlier this year, the company said the transaction was intended to accelerate the convergence of traditional financial services and blockchain infrastructure.
The latest investment extends that strategy by adding decentralized derivatives capabilities to its expanding digital asset ecosystem.
Executives say the partnership is intended to broaden access to global financial markets through blockchain technology while preserving users’ ownership of their digital assets.
The announcement comes as competition among online brokerages intensifies.
Earlier this week, Robinhood launched the public mainnet of Robinhood Chain, its blockchain network designed to support tokenized financial assets and on-chain financial services.
Together, the developments suggest major retail investment platforms are increasingly competing not only on trading fees and user experience but also on blockchain infrastructure.
Analysts expect more acquisitions, partnerships and technology investments as brokerages position themselves for the growth of tokenized finance.
The latest transaction highlights the gradual convergence of traditional finance and decentralized finance.
Rather than viewing DeFi as a competing ecosystem, established financial platforms are increasingly integrating decentralized technologies into existing brokerage services.
The trend could accelerate institutional adoption by allowing investors to access blockchain-native financial products through familiar regulated platforms while retaining the transparency and programmability associated with decentralized finance.
eToro has steadily expanded its cryptocurrency business beyond retail trading, positioning itself as a bridge between traditional finance and blockchain-based financial services. Its acquisition of self-custody wallet provider Zengo earlier this year signaled a strategic shift toward on-chain infrastructure. Extended operates a decentralized perpetual futures exchange built on Starknet, enabling users to trade cryptocurrencies and traditional financial assets through smart contracts while retaining custody of their funds. The investment reflects a broader industry trend in which established brokerages, including Robinhood, are investing heavily in blockchain infrastructure, tokenized assets and decentralized trading as the boundaries between TradFi and DeFi continue to narrow.
