If the reports are true, it could be a sign that FTX is making another serious push into stock trading. All three companies—Webull, Public.com, and Apex Clearing—are registered brokerages with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which means that they can buy and sell securities, such as stocks, on their own or on clients’ behalf.
Gaining marketshare through acquisitions is a strategy FTX has employed before. Last August, the U.S. based arm of FTX, FTX US, announced that it had agreed to acquire derivatives firm LedgerX. “This is probably one of the most exciting announcements we've ever had,” Bankman-Fried, the founder and CEO of FTX, commented on the deal at the time.
https://decrypt.co/101188/ftx-acquisition-talks-webull-apex-public