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Webull

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Webull
Company typePrivately held company
IndustryFinancial services
FoundedMay 24, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-05-24)[1][2]
FoundersWang Anquan[3]
Headquarters
St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.[4]
Key people
Anthony Denier (President)[5]
ProductsElectronic trading platform
ServicesStockbroker
OwnerWang Anquan[6]
General Atlantic[4]
Coatue Management
[4]Lightspeed Venture Partners[4]
J. Rothschild Capital Management[4]
Gopher Asset Management
ParentHunan Fumi Information Technology
Websitewww.webull.com Edit this at Wikidata

Webull Corporation is a electronic trading platform owned by Hunan Fumi Information Technology, a Chinese holding company.[7] The platform offers low-cost trading of stocks, exchange traded funds (ETFs), options, margins, fixed income, and futures, with no platform fees.[8] Founded in 2017, Webull is accessible via its mobile app and through desktop.

Webull's holding company has received backing from Xiaomi, Shunwei Capital, and other private equity investors in China.[9] The holding company is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida.[10] Webull is expected to become a public company in 2024 via a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC).[11]

Webull has received criticism from U.S. lawmakers and states attorneys general over its ties to Chinese companies. In 2024, a coalition of state attorneys general launched a probe into Webull over user privacy issues and concerns about the company's links to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) interests.[12][13]

History

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Foundation and early history (2017-2021)

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On May 24, 2017, Webull Financial LLC was established as a Delaware limited liability company[14] by Wang Anquan, a former employee of Alibaba Group.[6][15] In 2019, Webull's U.S. CEO Anthony Denier stated that Webull was “both a U.S. and Chinese company” in an interview.[12]

In May 2020, the company received SEC approval to launch a robo-advisor on its platform.[16] By August 2020, the platform had over 11 million registered users, and in October 2020, it had 750,000 daily active users.[17][18] In November 2020, Webull began supporting cryptocurrency transactions.[19]

On January 28, 2021, Webull halted buy orders for stocks affected by the GameStop short squeeze.[20] On that day, Webull recorded its highest-ever number of active daily users at 952,000.[21] That week, approximately 1.2 million people downloaded the Webull mobile app.[22]

Sports deals and IPO negotiations (2021-present)

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In September 2021, the Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty entered into a global multi-year agreement with Webull and the company became the official jersey patch partner for the Nets.[23] Terms of the agreement for the jersey patch weren't announced, but people familiar with the agreement told CNBC that it is a multi-year pact that pays the Nets roughly $30 million per year.[24]

In June 2021, Webull began talks of an initial public offering to raise up to $400 million.[25][26] As of August 2024, Webull is set to go public on Nasdaq via a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) agreement worth US$7 billion.[11]

Controversies

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Webull has received controversy owing to its ties to Chinese companies, with Anthony Denier, Webull's U.S. CEO, describing Webull as "both a U.S. and Chinese company" in 2019.[12]

2023 FINRA fine

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In 2023, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) fined Webull $3 million over the company's response to customer's complaints as well as its failure to conduct due diligence when allowing users to trade options.[27]

Lawmaker scrutiny

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The Wall Street Journal reported that a number of U.S. lawmakers, including Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, have expressed concerns about Webull in congressional hearings and letters to regulators.[12] In 2022, Tuberville led a bipartisan coalition of U.S. senators in introducing legislation to prevent Webull and other Chinese-owned companies from owning crypto exchange platforms.[28] In December 2024, the United States House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party raised concerns over Webull's ownership structure and operation ties to China.[13]

2024 U.S. state attorneys general probe

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In 2024, attorneys general from 14 U.S. states launched a probe into Webull centered on data privacy concerns and its potential ties to the Chinese Communist Party.[29] In June 2024, the state of Tennessee banned Webull on all government-issued devices.[12]

Userbase

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The company has stated it has approximately 20 million users worldwide as of 2024.[29] Anthony Denier, the company's CEO, claimed that Webull's userbase attracted more advanced and experienced investors than competing platforms, such as Robinhood.[30]

References

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  1. ^ "GameStop, AMC Trades to Resume at Chinese Online Brokers". Bloomberg News. January 29, 2021. Archived from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  2. ^ Wursthorn, Michael; Choi, Euirim (August 20, 2020). "Does Robinhood Make It Too Easy to Trade? From Free Stocks to Confetti". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  3. ^ Massa, Annie (December 10, 2020). "Webull is winning over traders from US rival". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "ON THE MOVE: Firstrade Appoints Don Montanaro; Webull Promotes Anthony Denier". January 16, 2024. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Massa, Annie (December 8, 2020). "Robinhood Is Losing Thousands of Traders to a China-Owned Rival". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  7. ^ Zeldin, Lee (July 13, 2023). "Biden's financial regulators give China-backed brokers a hand, but who is surprised?". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  8. ^ Malaysia, Fintech News (May 20, 2024). "Webull Has Officially Launched Its Global Trading App in Malaysia". Fintech News Malaysia. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
  9. ^ McGregor, Grady (February 2, 2021). "The Robinhood revolt was good for Webull, China's little-known trading app". Fortune. Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  10. ^ "UNITED STATESSECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549". www.sec.gov. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Online brokerage Webull targets young Asian traders ahead of IPO". South China Morning Post. August 21, 2024. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d e Osipovich, Alexander (June 13, 2024). "Webull's China Problem Grows With Tennessee State Ban". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  13. ^ a b "US lawmakers raise concerns over Webull's ties to China, demand data on security risks". ThePrint. December 8, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  14. ^ "Webull Financial LLC". Delaware Department of State: Division of Corporations. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  15. ^ "Form ADV - CRD #: 304881" (PDF). SEC Reports. January 12, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  16. ^ Capelj, Renato (May 6, 2020). "Webull Leverages Crisis To Spur Innovation, Financial Wellness". MarketWatch. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  17. ^ Graw, Michael (August 20, 2020). "Commission-free brokerage Webull launches desktop platform". TechRadar. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  18. ^ Osipovich, Alexander (October 16, 2020). "Individual-Investing Boom Fuels Trading in Low-Price Stocks". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  19. ^ Vigna, Paul (December 16, 2020). "Bitcoin Tops $20,000 for First Time". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  20. ^ Crowley, James (January 28, 2021). "Webull follows Robinhood in blocking GameStop, AMC trades after being suggested as alternate trading platform". Newsweek. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  21. ^ Perez, Sarah (January 28, 2021). "Robinhood and Reddit top the App Store, as trading apps surge following gamestop mania". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  22. ^ Vanian, Jonathan (February 2, 2021). "Robinhood, Webull, and Fidelity apps soar amid GameStop controversy". Fortune. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  23. ^ "Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty form Global Multi-year Partnership with Webull". Brooklyn Nets. Archived from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  24. ^ Young, Jabari (September 27, 2021). "Brooklyn Nets land $30 million per year jersey deal with brokerage platform Webull". CNBC. Archived from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  25. ^ "Online Broker Webull Considers $400 Million U.S. IPO". Bloomberg. June 8, 2021. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  26. ^ Dayal, Nikhil (June 10, 2021). "Webull In Talks To File For IPO Later This Year: Report". Benzinga. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  27. ^ Mccrank, John (March 9, 2023). "Wall Street watchdog fines Webull for options customer approval violations". Reuters. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  28. ^ "Tommy Tuberville announces bipartisan bill to block Chinese owned companies from owning crypto-currency exchanges". Alabama Today. June 16, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
  29. ^ a b Osipovich, Alexander (April 17, 2024). "Trading App Webull Faces Multistate Probe Over China Ties". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  30. ^ Li, Yun (February 28, 2024). "Online trading platform Webull is set to go public via a $7.3 billion SPAC deal". CNBC. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
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