EToro invests in onchain derivatives platform Extended as brokers race into DeFi

Digital broker eToro has led a $12.5 million funding round for Extended, an onchain perpetual futures exchange founded by former Revolut employees. This strategic investment, which also included participation from Jump Crypto and Alber Blanc, signals eToro's intent to integrate decentralized finance capabilities into its broader ecosystem. The company plans to embed Extended's perpetual futures engine directly into its recently acquired Zengo self-custody wallet, allowing users to trade derivatives while maintaining asset control. This move reflects a wider industry trend where traditional digital brokerages are racing to build blockchain-based infrastructure to meet user demand for 24/7 trading. Extended has already processed over $245 billion in trading volume and supports more than 100 perpetual markets, with future plans to expand into tokenized real-world assets. As competitors like Robinhood and Coinbase also pivot toward onchain derivatives and tokenized assets, the distinction between traditional brokerages and crypto-native exchanges is rapidly fading. This convergence highlights the shift toward an 'everything exchange' model where capital markets and digital asset infrastructure become increasingly intertwined.