Robinhood expands its global push, minutes from crypto chief’s old cramped apartment in Cannes
CANNES — Fifteen years after flipping burgers at a McDonald‘s and teaching himself to code at night in a cramped apartment near the French Riviera, Robinhood crypto chief Johann Kerbrat is back.
The last time he lived around Cannes, he was 21 — with no connections, no funding, and no formal business training. But he had a knack for programming and a drive to solve real-world problems.
Kerbrat, who is now senior vice president and crypto GM at Robinhood, quit his job just before starting university in nearby Nice, and soon after launched his first fintech startup: a no-code payments company built from scratch to help small merchants create e-commerce sites without hiring developers.
“It was in my little studio — probably smaller than your bathroom,” he said. “Initially, we didn’t have any employees, but it was right at the beginning of e-commerce. Back then, if you were a merchant you didn’t really have an option, you had to hire an agency and spend tens of thousands of euros. The idea was to let people build their own thing without any technical knowledge — kind of what Shopify is doing now.”
But the timing was right. The early 2010s brought a boom in online commerce, and Kerbrat’s tool gave small merchants a chance to compete. It also opened his eyes to how fragile and expensive the global financial system really was.
A classmate from Greece told him how his family’s bank accounts had been frozen during the eurozone crisis. Around the same time, merchants using his platform were struggling with high fees, chargebacks, and fraud. And then the Bitcoin white paper landed.
“I was like, ‘Okay, that’s a solution for everything,’ ” he said
Now, from Château de la Croix des Gardes, a Belle Époque mansion perched along the same coastline where he once lived and worked the night shift in fast food, he’s part of the most ambitious crypto product suite in Robinhood’s history.
On Monday the company announced an expanded offering of tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs across Europe, crypto staking in the U.S., perpetual futures for eligible EU traders, and a new Layer 2 blockchain optimized for real-world asset settlement and 24/7 trading.
“It’s absolutely surreal,” said Kerbrat, seated inside the iconic Carlton Hotel — a five-star landmark that once felt impossibly out of reach. “When I was younger, I used to walk past this place — and I could have never, never stayed here.”
The announcement coincides with the Ethereum Community Conference, hosted in Cannes for the first time, and Robinhood’s latest regulatory approvals across Europe.
Robinhood’s latest move is its most serious push yet to blend traditional finance with blockchain-based infrastructure.
Shares hit a record high following the announcement and are up over 100% this year.
Kerbrat said the goal isn’t to dazzle with features. It’s to make crypto disappear into the background. He likened it to plumbing.
“You don’t think about how water gets to your tap,” he said. “You just expect it to be there.”
But there is still plumbing to build out.
At the heart of Monday’s launch are tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs, now available to customers in 30 EU and European Economic Area countries. The tokens — built first on Arbitrum — offer 24/5 access, dividend support, and zero commission or spread from Robinhood. Eventually, they’ll migrate to a custom Layer 2 blockchain built to support tokenized assets, seamless bridging, and self-custody.
In the U.S., Robinhood is debuting staking for Ethereum and Solana, allowing users to earn rewards by supporting network operations. In Europe, crypto perpetual futures will offer eligible users up to 3x leverage, routed through Bitstamp. Other upgrades include smart exchange routing, tax lot management, and advanced charting tools — all designed to make crypto feel as seamless and intuitive as trading stocks.
“When we talk about mass adoption,” Kerbrat said, “This is what it looks like. A product people use — without needing to know how it works.”
For Kerbrat, who spent his adolescence between Cannes and Nice, the return isn’t just symbolic. It’s a measure of how far he’s come — and how much still feels the same.
His father worked in IT. His mother stayed home with him and his sister. One day, his dad brought home a clunky old Apple computer with a black-and-white screen and that was the spark. By 7, he was experimenting. By 11, he was programming regularly. And by 17, he was already trying to fix the broken parts of the internet economy he saw around him.
His parents, now living further inland, drove in just in time to watch the launch. They remember the early days, he said — the tiny apartment, the first lines of code, the endless conversations with merchants who didn’t quite believe his pitch — that anyone could build an e-commerce site without knowing how to code.
“We chose Cannes because of licensing, and because the conference was here,” he said. “But I’m not going to pretend it doesn’t feel good.”
He paused, letting the moment settle.
“I never thought I’d be back here like this.”
Despite the warnings, BYD continues introducing new discounts. On Wednesday, BYD’s luxury off-road brand began offering over 50% Huawei’s smart driving tech.
BYD introduces new discounts on smart driving tech
After BYD cut prices again in May, the China Automobile Manufacturers Association (CAMA) warned that the ultra-low prices are “triggering a new round of price war panic.”
Although they didn’t single out BYD, it was pretty obvious. BYD slashed prices across 22 of its vehicles by up to 34%, triggering several automakers to follow suit in China.
BYD’s cheapest EV, the Seagull, typically starts at about $10,000 (66,800 yuan). After the price cuts, the Seagull is listed at under $8,000 (55,800 yuan).
It doesn’t look like China’s EV leader plans to slow down anytime soon. Fang Cheng Bao, BYD’s luxury off-road brand, introduced new discounts on Huawei’s smart driving tech on Wednesday.
The limited-time offer cuts the price of Huawei’s Qiankun Intelligent Driving High-end Function Package to just 12,000 yuan ($1,700).
Buyers who order the smart driving tech in July will save over 50% compared to its typical price of 32,000 yuan ($4,500).
Earlier this year, Fang Chang Bao launched the Tai 3, its most affordable vehicle, starting at 139,800 yuan ($19,300). The Tai 3 is about the size of the Tesla Model Y, but costs about half as much.
The Tai 3 will spearhead a new sub-brand of electric SUVs following the more premium Bao 8 and Bao 5 hybrid SUVs.
BYD’s luxury off-road brand sold 18,903 vehicles last month, up 50% from May and 605% compared to last year. Fang Cheng Bao has now sold over 10,000 vehicles for three consecutive months.
The Chinese EV giant sold 382,585 vehicles in total in June, an increase of 12% from last year. In the first half of the year, BYD’s cumulative sales reached over 2.1 million, a YOY increase of 33%.
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Every year, it seems like there’s a new headline about the world’s lightest electric bike. Each year, engineers manage to shave a few more grams off of an exotically designed frame built with even more exotic materials. And each year, the continuously lower weight is balanced by continuously higher prices – often exorbitantly high. But now Dahon has bucked that trend, offering us an incredibly lightweight electric bike at a price that normal e-bike riders can afford. Meet the Dahon K-Feather.
To put things in perspective, some of the previous lightest electric bicycles have included the 11.8 kg (26 lb) LeMond Prolog at US $4,500, the 11.75 kg (12.59 lb) Trek Domane+ SLR at US $8,999, and the 10 kg (22 lb) Hummingbird Flax folding e-bike at US $6,050.
So with that in mind, please allow me to introduce you to the new Dahon K-Feather. This is a 12 kg (26.5 kg) folding electric bike priced at an incredibly reasonable US $1,199 in North America or €1,499 in Europe.
Sure, it’s not the absolute lightest folding e-bike we’ve ever seen, but it’s 90% of the way there and at a quarter of the price. Plus, it comes from Dahon, which is one of the most respected names in the folding bike world and is largely credited with paving the way for the booming folding bike industry we see today. Since the 1980s, Dahon’s innovative designs have been imitated around the world, yet the folding bike maker has continued to innovate and stay several steps ahead of competing brands.
The K-feather achieves its extra low weight through the combination of a novel frame design employing Dahon’s patented frame designs, including the company’s DELTECH technology and “super down tube,” which help improve rigidity and robustness while reducing weight.
The electrical system on the K-Feather is also a featherweight, keeping the e-bike largely in the last-mile category. While the battery claims a maximum range of up to 24.8 miles (40 km), real-world riding and hilly terrain could reduce that range. Still, clever designs like a system that automatically shuts off the extra motor power when detecting a downhill segment help to eke out more range from the small 24V and 5Ah battery.
The ultra-lightweight 250W hub motor also offers just 32 Nm of torque, meaning the assist is more of a helpful push than a powerful shove. But with the inclusion of a torque sensor for the pedal assist, that push comes on quickly and reliably, making the bike feel more like a traditional analog bike being pedaled by someone with extra strong legs.
With 16″ dual-wall rims and 14g spokes, this isn’t the heavy fat tire folding e-bikes we’re used to in North America, and the capacity reflects that. The K-Feather is rated to support riders weighing up to 105 kg (231 lb), though the highly adjustable seating position can support a range of rider heights from 145 to 190.5 cm (4’9″ to 6’3″).
Coming in six colorways, the Dahon K-feather folding e-bike is now available in the US and has launched for pre-order in Europe, with shipments there expected in September.
I had a bit of a preview of the K-feather on my last trip to China when I was able to visit Dahon’s headquarters and test ride the bike.
I still can’t believe how light it felt, both underneath me and while folding it up and carrying it around. Be on the lookout for that full experience from my trip, coming soon.
Electrek’s Take
The K-Feather represents a compelling milestone not just for Dahon, but for the entire folding e-bike market. By delivering a truly lightweight, compact, and fully electric folder at an impressively affordable price point, Dahon has made minimalist e-mobility more accessible than ever.
It’s not just a bike for die-hard lightweight e-bike connoisseurs; it’s a real-world solution for commuters, travelers, and apartment dwellers who want the freedom of electric assist without the bulk or the sticker shock. If the goal is to get more people on two wheels, the K-Feather might just be one of the most important steps forward yet.
Coming in at less than half the weight of most folding e-bikes, and still a fraction of most lighter-duty folders, the K-Feather’s modest performance makes it a great urban ride for those who favor compact size and light weight. In fact, I think it might be perfect for my mother-in-law, who needs an e-bike to get to and from the train she takes to work, but also needs it to be light enough to carry up to her second-story apartment. Hmmm, perhaps I should have her do a review for us…
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The Honda Prologue remains a top-selling EV in the US, but it’s Acura’s luxury electric SUV that’s been the surprise hit this year.
Honda Prologue sales rise while Acura’s EV surprises
After delivering the first Prologue models last year, Honda’s electric SUV quickly became a hit. In the second half of 2024, it was the second-best-selling electric SUV in the US, trailing only the Tesla Model Y.
Despite limited inventory due to the new 2025 model year change, Honda sold 2,799 Prologues last month. In the first half of the year, Honda has now sold 16,317 Prologue models in the US. In comparison, Toyota sold just over 9,200 units of its electric SUV, the bZ4X, during the same period.
Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus, sold only 763 RZ models, its sole electric SUV, for a total of 3,779 units in the first half of the year.
Honda Prologue sales have now held steady, averaging over 2,700 units per month, but it’s Acura’s electric SUV that has been quietly gaining ground in the luxury EV space.
With another 1,318 models sold last month, Acura ZDX sales reached 10,355 in the first half of 2025. Acura’s electric SUV is even outpacing the Cadillac Lyriq, which is based on the same Ultium platform.
Sales are significantly higher than the company expected. Earlier this year, Mike Langel, vice president of national sales for Acura, told Automotive News that the company expected to sell around 1,000 ZDX models a month this year.
A significant reason behind the strong demand is the availability of massive discounts, which can reach nearly $30,000 in some states. The luxury electric SUV is more affordable than a Honda CR-V, with monthly leases starting at just $299.
The Honda Prologue is available to lease for as little as $259 per month. The offer is for 36 months with $2,399 due at signing in California and other ZEV states.
With the Trump administration planning to end the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, many of these savings will soon disappear.
If you’re looking to take advantage of the savings while they’re still available, we can help you get started. You can use our links below to find deals on the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX in your area.
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