This week FTX.US started letting some customers trade shares in companies like Apple, Visa, and Coca-Cola—putting it into direct competition with the likes of Charles Schwab, Robinhood, and other brokerage giants. The company has been preparing for the move into equities for months now - late in 2021, FTX.US acquired a broker/dealer license through a little-known company called RJL, which paved the way for the announcement.