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The eToro logo is seen during the 2021 Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal.

Pedro Fiúza | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Stock trading platform eToro agreed to a $120 million secondary share sale, giving the company a slightly lower valuation than the $3.5 billion it was valued at in a primary funding round earlier this year.

The Israeli digital brokerage, which offers users trading in stocks, crypto, and contracts for difference, gave early employees and angel investors a chance to sell shares to some of eToro’s existing investors, according to a memo to employees obtained by CNBC.

The round is a secondary share sale, meaning the company hasn’t issued any new shares and won’t net any income from the transaction. However, it’s an indicator of the price investors are currently willing to pay to own shares of the firm.

It comes after eToro last year scrapped its plans to go public in a merger with a blank-check company, Fintech V.

The deal would have valued the company at $10 billion, but a downturn in equity and crypto prices threw a spanner in the works, as investors reassessed their exposure to tech and retail brokerages suffered a slump in trading activity.

34% of retail investors think A.I. will eventually outperform money managers, says eToro's Lule Demmissie

“As a business which continues to demonstrate sustainable, profitable growth we are considered an attractive investment opportunity by many investors,” Yoni Assia, eToro’s CEO and co-founder, said in the Monday memo to employees. 

“This secondary transaction will give existing shareholders in eToro and veteran employees who have vested options the opportunity to sell a proportion of their shares to these purchasers.”

“This is not a primary i.e. eToro is not raising money — rather it is a moment for some long standing shareholders and employees to take some liquidity. As always, please maintain confidentiality and do not share any details of this potential transaction with anyone. Employees with eligible options will receive an email with further details.”

EToro most recently raised $250 million from investors at a $3.5 billion valuation, far lower than the $10 billion it was seeking in its bid to float via SPAC.

Investors in that round included SoftBank Vision Fund 2, ION Investment Group and Velvet Sea Ventures. The investment came in the form of an advance investment agreement, which is where investors pay in advance for shares that will be allocated at a later date, sometimes at a discount.

EToro agreed it would convert the investment to equity on the condition that the SPAC deal doesn’t go ahead — which it didn’t. 

Earlier this year, eToro signed a partnership with Twitter, now known as X, allowing users of the social media platform to access stock and crypto trading by searching for so-called “cashtags,” which are searchable by adding a dollar sign before the ticker symbol of a stock or other asset.

Older retail traders are outpacing young traders on A.I. stock buying: eToro U.S. CEO Lule Demmissie

EToro said it is looking to expand its partnership with Twitter, or X, in a number of ways. The company’s CEO recently met with X CEO Linda Yaccarino in New York to discuss working on expanding their partnership.

EToro, like many online wealth management platforms, benefited from the surge of demand during the Covid-19 pandemic when people were stuck indoors and had more time — and in some cases money — to splash a bit of their excess cash on stocks and other assets.

GameStop, and several other so-called “meme” stocks, skyrocketed in response to heightened retail investor demand which put pressure on short-selling funds.

More recently, online brokerage platforms have had a tougher time. The rising cost of living has made it tougher for consumers to part with the cash they were flush with during the days of Covid. Freetrade, the U.K. brokerage startup, slashed its valuation by a whopping 65% in a crowdfunding round, citing a “different market environment.”

Read the full memo eToro CEO Yoni Assia sent out to staff below:

Dear eTorians,

As August approaches I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the many achievements of H1 and share an outlook for H2.

As outlined in July’s AHM, we had strong business performance in the first half of the year resulting in EBITDA (profits) of over $50 million. Funded accounts now stand at almost 3 million and our assets under administration (AuA) are $7.8 billion. This positive start to the year was driven by the rally in equity markets  (in June we saw the highest volume of equities trading since 2021) plus a recovery in crypto markets. We have also maintained our focus on costs to ensure sustainable, profitable growth. 

2023 to date has been very busy in terms of product development, launches and partnerships with highlights including: the significant upgrade to our charts via a partnership with TradingView (more coming soon), an ISA with MoneyFarm, major milestones in terms of UX optimization including the new AI assistant, the launch of the amazing new eToro Academy, the launch of extended hours trading, expanding our football sponsorships to include women, adding more assets and so much more. 

I also want to update that we were recently approached by several existing investors who have shown an interest in buying more shares in eToro.  As a business which continues to demonstrate sustainable, profitable growth we are considered an attractive investment opportunity by many investors. [Please note this is not financial advice!]  This secondary transaction will give existing shareholders in eToro and veteran employees who have vested options the opportunity to sell a proportion of their shares to these purchasers. This is not a primary i.e. eToro is not raising money –  rather it is a moment for some long standing shareholders and employees to take some liquidity. As always, please maintain confidentiality and do not share any details of this potential transaction with anyone. Employees with eligible options will receive an email with further details.

For those of you taking a well-earned break in August, enjoy your vacation and I hope you come back refreshed and energized for an exciting second half of the year.

Best,

Yoni

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Samsung launches thin S25 Edge as Apple reportedly prepares the iPhone ‘Air’

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Samsung launches thin S25 Edge as Apple reportedly prepares the iPhone 'Air'

Samsung launched the Galaxy S25 Edge, a thinner version of its flagship smartphone.

Arjun Kharpal | CNBC

Samsung on Tuesday unveiled a thin version of its flagship smartphone in an unusually timed launch as it looks to maintain momentum in its mobile divison against an uncertain consumer backdrop and U.S. tariff policy.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge is just 5.8 millimeters thin and weighs 163 grams, making it one of the thinnest smartphones on the market.

Samsung said the device starts at $1,099 and goes on sale on May 30.

The launch comes just under four months after Samsung staged its annual flagship phone launch for the S25 series. It is unusual for Samsung to launch a new high-end device this soon after the January event with the normal timeline generally being the middle of the year for the unveiling of its latest foldable phones.

The move highlights the South Korean tech giant’s desire to capitalize on the success of the S25 range as it faces rising competition from Chinese players and an uncertain macroeconomic environment.

Samsung reported last month that it saw a jump in revenue and profit in the first quarter of the year at its mobile division thanks to strong sales of its S25 series.

However, Daniel Araujo, vice president at Samsung’s mobile division, warned on an earnings call last month that smartphone demand is expected to decrease in the second quarter due to “seasonality trends” and forecasts could be “adjusted” further due to global tariff policy.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs took effect in April though they were paused shortly after. The White House exempted certain tech products such as smartphones and chips, providing some reprieve for companies like Samsung and Apple. The U.S. and China meanwhile agreed on Monday to pause most of their tariffs on each party.

Araujo said that the S25 Edge could help “sustain flagship-centric sales,” underscoring why Samsung has decided to launch the phone now.

Apple reportedly working on thin iPhone

Thinner phones have become an obsession with smartphone makers who are hoping these devices will appeal to people who want the flagship experience without the size of a traditional device. Samsung’s S25 Edge has a 6.7-inch display, the same as the Galaxy S25+, but it is thinner and lighter.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display during a briefing at the Samsung KX store in London, U.K.

Arjun Kharpal | CNBC

The phone also packs a dual camera system and Samsung’s latest AI features.

“For the second half of 2025 ‘thin is most definitely in’,” Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, told CNBC.

“Samsung is first out the gate with a slim design, but Apple is expected to follow in September, and the burgeoning Chinese brands such as Honor and Xiaomi probably won’t be far behind.”

Samsung may be trying to get ahead of its closest rival Apple, which is gearing up to launch a thin version of its flagship device dubbed the iPhone 17 Air, according to a Bloomberg report this year.

“It is hard to believe this is not a pre-emptive strike following the widespread speculation that Apple will have a thin iPhone in its next line-up,” Wood added.

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Coinbase joining S&P 500 days after bitcoin soared past $100,000

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Coinbase joining S&P 500 days after bitcoin soared past 0,000

Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box outside the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 21st, 2025.

Gerry Miller | CNBC

Coinbase is joining the S&P 500, replacing Discover Financial Services in the benchmark index, according to a release on Monday. Shares of the crypto exchange jumped 8% in extended trading.

The change will take effect before trading on May 19. Discover is in the process of being acquired by Capital One Financial.

Since going public through a direct listing in 2021, Coinbase has become a bigger part of the U.S. financial system, with bitcoin soaring in value and large institutions gaining regulatory approval to create spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds.

Bitcoin spiked last week, topping $100,000 and nearing its record price reached in January.

However, Coinbase has been a particularly volatile stock and is trading well below its peak from late 2021. The shares closed on Monday at $207.22, giving the company a market cap of $53 billion. At its high, the stock traded at over $357.

Stocks added to the S&P 500 often rise in value because funds that track the S&P 500 will add it to their portfolios.

The index, which is heavily weighted towards tech because of the massive market caps of the industry’s heavyweights, continues to add companies from across the sector. In September, Dell and defense software provider Palantir were added to the S&P 500, following artificial intelligence server maker Super Micro Computer and security software vendor CrowdStrike earlier last year.

To join the S&P 500, a company must have reported a profit in its latest quarter and have cumulative profit over the four most recent quarters.

Coinbase last week reported net income of $65.6 million, or 24 cents a share, down from $1.18 billion, or $4.40 a share a year earlier, after accounting for the fair value of its crypto investments. Revenue rose 24% to $2.03 billion from $1.64 billion a year ago.

Also last week, Coinbase announced plans to buy Dubai-based Deribit, a major crypto derivatives exchange for $2.9 billion. The deal, which is the largest in the crypto industry to date, will help Coinbase broaden its footprint outside the U.S.

Coinbase shares are down 17% this year, underperforming bitcoin, which is now up about 10% over that stretch.

WATCH: Bitcoin surges past $100k

Bitcoin surges past $100K: Coinbase's John D’Agostino on the crypto rally

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Perplexity AI wrapping talks to raise $500 million at $14 billion valuation

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Perplexity AI wrapping talks to raise 0 million at  billion valuation

Dado Ruvic | Reuters

Perplexity AI is in late-stage talks to raise $500 million at a $14 billion valuation, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to CNBC Monday.

Accel, the Palo Alto-based venture capital firm, will lead the round, according to the source, who spoke anonymously because the round is not yet finalized. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the late-stage numbers.

The funding is on the lower end of Perplexity’s planned raise, which CNBC reported in March. During those early-stage talks, Perplexity was looking to raise between $500 million and $1 billion in funding at an $18 billion post-money valuation, per a source familiar.

The artificial intelligence search engine company competes against the likes of Google and Microsoft-backed OpenAI. Its valuation in December was $9 billion, triple its $3 billion valuation in June 2024.

Read more CNBC reporting on AI

Perplexity has just under $100 million in annual recurring revenue, or ARR, the source told CNBC in March.

Perplexity has been in the middle of the generative AI boom that began in late 2022 with the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and it’s betting big on its upcoming AI agent web browser, called Comet. But Perplexity faces increasing competition in the AI search market.

In March, Anthropic launched its web search product, allowing its chatbot Claude to display real-time search results to a subset of users.

Last fall, OpenAI launched a search feature within ChatGPT, its viral chatbot, that positioned it to better compete with Perplexity, as well as leading search engines such as Google and Microsoft‘s Bing.

Google has released AI Overviews within its search product as well, though it sparked controversy over high-profile errors soon after its release.

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