FalconX initially invested in Arbelos Markets’ seed funding round.
The financials of the prospective deal or Arbelos’ valuation remain unknown.
FalconX, a cryptocurrency prime brokerage firm, is in advanced talks to acquire Arbelos Markets, a crypto derivatives startup launched in 2023 by two industry veterans, Joshua Lim and Shiliang Tang, Bloomberg reported today (Wednesday).
A Cash and Stock Deal
Although the financial sum of the deal is still unknown, the transaction is expected to involve a mix of cash and stocks. The two companies are likely to announce the deal officially in the coming days.
FalconX first showed interest in Arbelos earlier this year when it invested in the startup’s $28 million seed round. Dragonfly led the funding round with participants including Circle Ventures, Deribit, Paxos, and StarkWare. However, the valuation of Arbelos during that seed round and the expected acquisition deal remains undisclosed.
Meanwhile, FalconX was valued at $8 billion when it raised $150 million in 2022 from investors, including Tiger Global, GIC, and B Capital. The company, founded in 2018, has raised a total of $430 million across multiple funding rounds. It operates from offices in the US, the UK, Malta, India, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Expanding Services for the Crypto Industry
Earlier this year, the company launched a dedicated foreign exchange desk in London. The desk offers access to 20 forex pairs, including major currencies like the US dollar, euro, and British pound. It is aimed at crypto trading firms, exchanges, and brokers, enabling access to fiat currency pairs, a service similar to traditional FX markets.
Raghu Yarlagadda, co-founder and CEO of FalconX; Photo: LinkedIn
Meanwhile, a Seychelles-registered subsidiary of FalconX settled with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, paying $1.8 million for operating in the US without registration. This marked the US regulator's first action against a platform that “inappropriately facilitated access to digital asset exchanges.”
FalconX's prospective acquisition of Arbelos comes at a time when demand for crypto trading has risen significantly. Raghu Yarlagadda, co-founder and CEO of FalconX, hinted at the company’s acquisition plans in his 2025 outlook.
“The cost of doing business in crypto will rise as more institutional players enter the market and regulations tighten. That, in turn, will trigger a wave of consolidation in 2025,” Yarlagadda said. “Currently, we are actively exploring potential acquisitions and assessing the relevant sectors and key players within them.”
FalconX, a cryptocurrency prime brokerage firm, is in advanced talks to acquire Arbelos Markets, a crypto derivatives startup launched in 2023 by two industry veterans, Joshua Lim and Shiliang Tang, Bloomberg reported today (Wednesday).
A Cash and Stock Deal
Although the financial sum of the deal is still unknown, the transaction is expected to involve a mix of cash and stocks. The two companies are likely to announce the deal officially in the coming days.
FalconX first showed interest in Arbelos earlier this year when it invested in the startup’s $28 million seed round. Dragonfly led the funding round with participants including Circle Ventures, Deribit, Paxos, and StarkWare. However, the valuation of Arbelos during that seed round and the expected acquisition deal remains undisclosed.
Meanwhile, FalconX was valued at $8 billion when it raised $150 million in 2022 from investors, including Tiger Global, GIC, and B Capital. The company, founded in 2018, has raised a total of $430 million across multiple funding rounds. It operates from offices in the US, the UK, Malta, India, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Expanding Services for the Crypto Industry
Earlier this year, the company launched a dedicated foreign exchange desk in London. The desk offers access to 20 forex pairs, including major currencies like the US dollar, euro, and British pound. It is aimed at crypto trading firms, exchanges, and brokers, enabling access to fiat currency pairs, a service similar to traditional FX markets.
Raghu Yarlagadda, co-founder and CEO of FalconX; Photo: LinkedIn
Meanwhile, a Seychelles-registered subsidiary of FalconX settled with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, paying $1.8 million for operating in the US without registration. This marked the US regulator's first action against a platform that “inappropriately facilitated access to digital asset exchanges.”
FalconX's prospective acquisition of Arbelos comes at a time when demand for crypto trading has risen significantly. Raghu Yarlagadda, co-founder and CEO of FalconX, hinted at the company’s acquisition plans in his 2025 outlook.
“The cost of doing business in crypto will rise as more institutional players enter the market and regulations tighten. That, in turn, will trigger a wave of consolidation in 2025,” Yarlagadda said. “Currently, we are actively exploring potential acquisitions and assessing the relevant sectors and key players within them.”
Arnab is an electronics engineer-turned-financial editor. He entered the industry covering the cryptocurrency market for Finance Magnates and later expanded his reach to forex as well. He is passionate about the changing regulatory landscape on financial markets and keenly follows the disruptions in the industry with new-age technologies.
In this conversation, we speak with Aydin Bonabi, CEO and co-founder of Surveill, a firm focused on fraud detection and AI-driven compliance tools for financial institutions.
We start with Aydin’s view of the Summit and the challenges brokers face as fraud tactics grow more complex. He explains how firms can stay ahead through real-time signals, data patterns, and early-stage detection.
We also talk about AI training and why compliance teams often struggle to keep models accurate, fair, and aligned with regulatory expectations. Aydin breaks down what “good” AI training looks like inside a financial environment, including the importance of clean data, domain expertise, and human oversight.
He closes with a clear message: fraud is scaling, and so must the tools that stop it.
In this conversation, we speak with Aydin Bonabi, CEO and co-founder of Surveill, a firm focused on fraud detection and AI-driven compliance tools for financial institutions.
We start with Aydin’s view of the Summit and the challenges brokers face as fraud tactics grow more complex. He explains how firms can stay ahead through real-time signals, data patterns, and early-stage detection.
We also talk about AI training and why compliance teams often struggle to keep models accurate, fair, and aligned with regulatory expectations. Aydin breaks down what “good” AI training looks like inside a financial environment, including the importance of clean data, domain expertise, and human oversight.
He closes with a clear message: fraud is scaling, and so must the tools that stop it.
Exness expands its presence in Africa: Inside our interview with Paul Margarites in Cape Town
Exness expands its presence in Africa: Inside our interview with Paul Margarites in Cape Town
Finance Magnates met with Paul Margarites, Exness regional commercial director for Sub-Saharan Africa, during a visit to the firm’s office opening in Cape Town. In this talk, led by Andrea Badiola Mateos, Co-CEO at Finance Magnates, Paul shares views on the South African trading space, local user behavior, mobile trends, regulation, team growth, and how Exness plans to grow in more markets across the region. @Exness
Read the article at: https://www.financemagnates.com/thought-leadership/exness-expands-its-presence-in-africa-inside-our-interview-with-paul-margarites/
#exness #financemagnates #exnesstrading #CFDtrading #tradeonline #africanews #capetown
Finance Magnates met with Paul Margarites, Exness regional commercial director for Sub-Saharan Africa, during a visit to the firm’s office opening in Cape Town. In this talk, led by Andrea Badiola Mateos, Co-CEO at Finance Magnates, Paul shares views on the South African trading space, local user behavior, mobile trends, regulation, team growth, and how Exness plans to grow in more markets across the region. @Exness
Read the article at: https://www.financemagnates.com/thought-leadership/exness-expands-its-presence-in-africa-inside-our-interview-with-paul-margarites/
#exness #financemagnates #exnesstrading #CFDtrading #tradeonline #africanews #capetown
Executive Interview | Jas Shah | FMLS:25
Executive Interview | Jas Shah | FMLS:25
Interview with Jas Shah
Builder | Adviser | Fintech Writer | Product Strategist
In this episode, Jonathan Fine sat down with Jas Shah, one of the most thoughtful voices in global fintech. Known for his work across advisory, product, stablecoins, and his widely read writing, Jas brings a rare combination of industry insight and plain-spoken clarity.
We talk about his first impression of the Summit, the projects that keep him busy today, and how they connect to the stablecoin panel he joined. Jas shares his view on the link between fintech, wealthtech and retail brokers, especially as firms like Revolut, eToro and Trading212 blur long-standing lines in the market.
We also explore what stablecoin adoption might look like for retail investment platforms, including a few product and UX angles that are not obvious at first glance.
To close, Jas explains how he thinks about writing, and how he approaches “shipping” pieces that spark debate across the industry.
Interview with Jas Shah
Builder | Adviser | Fintech Writer | Product Strategist
In this episode, Jonathan Fine sat down with Jas Shah, one of the most thoughtful voices in global fintech. Known for his work across advisory, product, stablecoins, and his widely read writing, Jas brings a rare combination of industry insight and plain-spoken clarity.
We talk about his first impression of the Summit, the projects that keep him busy today, and how they connect to the stablecoin panel he joined. Jas shares his view on the link between fintech, wealthtech and retail brokers, especially as firms like Revolut, eToro and Trading212 blur long-standing lines in the market.
We also explore what stablecoin adoption might look like for retail investment platforms, including a few product and UX angles that are not obvious at first glance.
To close, Jas explains how he thinks about writing, and how he approaches “shipping” pieces that spark debate across the industry.
Vitalii Bulynin Talks About Versus Trade, New Pairs, and Big Plans
Vitalii Bulynin Talks About Versus Trade, New Pairs, and Big Plans
In this interview, Versus Trade Co-Founder Vitalii Bulynin explains how the company got its license fast, why its trading pairs are fresh and fun, and what the team will build next.
He also discusses the most active pairs, the IB and MIB plans, and hiring needs for new markets.
Watch the whole talk to learn more about how Versus Trade works and where it is heading.
#financemagnates #VersusTrade #TradingPairs #BTCvsGold #goldtrading #innovation
In this interview, Versus Trade Co-Founder Vitalii Bulynin explains how the company got its license fast, why its trading pairs are fresh and fun, and what the team will build next.
He also discusses the most active pairs, the IB and MIB plans, and hiring needs for new markets.
Watch the whole talk to learn more about how Versus Trade works and where it is heading.
#financemagnates #VersusTrade #TradingPairs #BTCvsGold #goldtrading #innovation
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
