FTX companies have started eyeing brokerage companies in the world, from several cnbc sources, the ftx CEO has started targeting 3 company names namely Webull, Apex Clearing and Public.com are among the companies that FTX has spoken to in the last few months, said the source . Webull, Apex and Public.com declined CNBC's requests for comment. FTX did not respond to a request for comment.

Fortune

        The move comes as investors are increasingly holding cryptocurrencies and stocks, and brokerage firms want to offer assets under one roof. Robinhood has shifted its business model away from being just stocks and focusing on cryptocurrencies, while SoFi, Block, and other fintechs are now offering both.
       Last week, FTX said it would move into equities. It plans to offer commission-free trading in the US in a bid to get more customers.
“The US has the largest retail base in the world and you don't want to split into two different apps to trade two different asset classes,” Brett Harrison, president of FTX US, told CNBC in a telephone interview last week. “This is not a revenue-generating model for us, it is more of a user acquisition strategy.”
        FTX has made strategic investments in space. He bought a stake in IEX Group, one of the largest stock exchange operators, in April. Earlier in May, FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried took a 7.6% stake in Robinhood fueling speculation that the crypto firm might be making an acquisition. Robinhood's stock is down more than 85% since hitting an all-time high around its initial public offering last summer.
    While the regulatory filing says Bankman-Fried sees Robinhood as an “attractive investment” with no plans to buy it or push for changes to the company, the document raises some eyebrows. SEC filings are 13D, typically used by activist investors. Passive investors will usually apply for 13G.

Coindesk

        But taking over robinhood is very difficult without the founder's approval. Robinhood's dual class share structure gives co-founder and CEO Vlad Tenev and co-founder Baiju Bhatt more than 60% of the voting rights.
        Analysts are expecting more consolidation in the space with fintech stocks plummeting from all-time highs and some private valuations compressing.
        “Many in the industry are flush with cash and strategic acquisitions can accelerate growth, so we expect demand will remain strong,” said Devin Ryan, director of financial technology research at JMP Securities. “We expect buyers will be looking for targets that add a product capability and expertise, broaden the customer footprint as customer acquisition costs have risen, or even simply add talent in a competitive hiring landscape.”