How Does Webull Make Money? - FourWeekMBA (2024)

Webull is an online trading platform, allowing users to trade stocks, options, and exchange-traded funds. It makes money through order flow (profit between bid-ask price). In late 2019, Webull strategically partnered with Nasdaq TotalView to give traders access to in-depth market data via two subscription options. Margin trading is also available on the Webull platform. In addition, the company collects monthly interest on the loans it issues to traders. Webull also charges short selling fees if an investor wants to borrow shares of a company before selling them.

Business Model Element	Analysis	Implications	Examples
Value Proposition	Webull’s value proposition includes: – Commission-Free Trading: Offers users the ability to trade stocks, options, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies without paying commissions. – Advanced Trading Tools: Provides a suite of advanced trading and analysis tools for investors. – Extended Trading Hours: Allows for extended trading hours before the market opens and after it closes. – Access to Cryptocurrencies: Offers access to a variety of cryptocurrencies for trading. – Educational Resources: Provides educational content and research tools to help users make informed investment decisions.	Appeals to cost-conscious investors seeking to avoid commission fees. Attracts traders and investors looking for advanced trading features. Provides flexibility with extended trading hours. Meets the needs of users interested in cryptocurrency trading. Supports users’ learning journey with educational resources and research tools. Encourages users to trade and invest with confidence.	– Users enjoying commission-free trading of stocks, options, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies. – Utilizing advanced trading tools and analysis features for investment decisions. – Taking advantage of extended trading hours for increased flexibility. – Engaging in cryptocurrency trading within the same platform. – Accessing educational content and research tools to enhance investment knowledge.
Customer Segments	Webull serves a variety of customer segments, including: 1. Retail Investors: Individual investors looking to trade and invest in financial markets. 2. Active Traders: Frequent traders who require advanced trading tools. 3. Cryptocurrency Enthusiasts: Users interested in trading cryptocurrencies. 4. Self-Directed Investors: Individuals who prefer managing their investments independently. Webull caters to a diverse group of investors with different preferences and trading styles.	Attracts retail investors seeking commission-free trading services. Appeals to active traders in need of advanced trading features. Meets the needs of cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Supports self-directed investors who prefer managing their portfolios independently. Targets a broad spectrum of users with distinct financial goals and trading preferences.	– Retail investors using Webull for commission-free trading services. – Active traders leveraging advanced trading tools and analysis features. – Cryptocurrency enthusiasts trading a variety of digital assets. – Self-directed investors managing their portfolios independently. – A diverse user base with various financial goals and trading styles.
Distribution Strategy	Webull’s distribution strategy includes: – Online Platform: Offering an online trading platform accessible via desktop and mobile devices. – Mobile App: Providing a mobile app for trading on smartphones and tablets. – Marketing and Promotions: Utilizing digital marketing and promotional campaigns. – Referral Program: Encouraging existing users to refer new clients. Webull leverages its online presence, mobile accessibility, marketing efforts, and user referrals to acquire and serve clients.	Provides convenience through online and mobile trading platforms. Attracts users through digital marketing campaigns and promotions. Stimulates user growth through referral programs. Enhances user engagement by offering mobile trading capabilities. Utilizes a multi-channel approach for user acquisition and retention.	– Users accessing Webull’s online trading platform and mobile app. – Discovering Webull through digital marketing and promotional efforts. – Referring friends and family to join Webull and earning referral rewards.
Revenue Streams	Webull generates revenue through the following channels: 1. Payment for Order Flow: Earning a fee for routing customer orders to market makers. 2. Interest on Cash Balances: Generating interest income from uninvested cash balances. 3. Margin Interest: Charging interest on margin accounts. 4. Premium Subscriptions: Offering premium subscription plans with advanced features. 5. Lending Program: Earning income by lending securities to short sellers. Webull diversifies its revenue streams through various fees and services.	Generates revenue through payment for order flow, interest on cash balances, and margin interest. Expands revenue by offering premium subscription plans with advanced features. Maximizes income from a lending program for securities. Diversifies income sources within the financial services industry.	– Users’ trading orders routed to market makers generate payment for order flow revenue. – Accruing interest on uninvested cash balances held in Webull accounts. – Paying interest on margin accounts when trading on margin. – Subscribing to premium plans with access to advanced features. – Participating in the securities lending program as a source of income.
Marketing Strategy	Webull’s marketing strategy involves: – Digital Advertising: Running online ads to attract potential traders and investors. – Educational Content: Providing resources and content to educate users about trading and investing. – Promotional Campaigns: Offering promotions and incentives to attract new clients. – Referral Program: Encouraging existing clients to refer friends and family. Webull combines digital advertising, educational content, promotional campaigns, and referrals to acquire and retain users.	Attracts potential traders and investors through digital advertising. Educates users with valuable content on trading and investing topics. Expands its user base through promotional campaigns and incentives. Stimulates user growth by incentivizing referrals. Implements a comprehensive marketing strategy for user acquisition and engagement.	– Encountering Webull’s online ads promoting its commission-free trading services. – Accessing educational content on trading and investing topics. – Taking advantage of promotional offers and incentives to open accounts. – Referring friends and family to join Webull and earning rewards.
Competitive Advantage	Webull’s competitive advantage stems from: – Commission-Free Trading: Attracting users with cost-effective trading services. – Advanced Tools: Offering advanced trading platforms and analysis features. – Extended Trading Hours: Providing flexibility with extended trading hours. – Cryptocurrency Trading: Meeting the needs of cryptocurrency enthusiasts. – Educational Resources: Supporting users’ learning journey with educational content. Webull combines cost-effectiveness, technology, extended hours, cryptocurrency trading, and education for a competitive edge.	Appeals to cost-conscious traders and investors with commission-free trading. Enhances user experience with advanced trading platforms and analysis features. Provides flexibility with extended trading hours for user convenience. Meets the needs of cryptocurrency enthusiasts by offering a range of digital assets. Supports users’ learning journey with educational resources. Combines various strengths for a competitive advantage in the brokerage industry.	– Investors choosing Webull for commission-free trading of stocks, options, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies. – Utilizing advanced trading platforms and analysis tools for investment decisions. – Taking advantage of extended trading hours for increased flexibility. – Engaging in cryptocurrency trading within the same platform. – Accessing educational content and research tools to enhance investment knowledge. – Benefiting from the combination of cost-effectiveness and advanced technology. – Making informed investment decisions with access to educational materials.

Table of Contents

History of Webull

Webull is an online trading platform, allowing users to trade stocks, options, and exchange-traded funds.

Webull was founded by former Alibaba Group employee Wang Anquan in 2017 but headquartered in New York City. The company was initially funded by Fumi Technology, a Chinese company that Anquan founded a year earlier in 2016.

Early in the piece, Anquan had ambitions to legitimize his business by establishing a presence in North America. He subsequently hired Wall Street veteran Anthony Denier to serve as CEO.

When the Webull service launched in 2017, it provided sophisticated charting tools to help traders make better decisions.

However, Anquan saw the rise in popularity of investment platform Robinhood and pivoted accordingly.

After securing millions from successive funding rounds, Webull purchased commercial television advertising slots to grow its user base quickly.

It also partnered with influencers and offered free stock a sign-up incentive for new customers.

Webull revenue generation

Webull has a similar revenue generation model to many other online investment platforms.

Order flow payment

When users place an order on the Webull platform, the order is sent to a market maker who then compensates the company for deal flow.

This can simply be defined as the rate at which the market maker receives investment offers.

Compensation is made possible through generating a profit on the bid-ask spread. In other words, the difference between the quoted rate for a given sale (bid) and buy (ask).

Webull only earns a fraction of this profit, but revenue is more significant when one considers how many trades are executed on its platform daily.

Subscriptions

In late 2019, Webull strategically partnered with Nasdaq TotalView to give traders access to in-depth market data.

There are two subscription options:

Level 1 – a freemium option including data on equities, indices, forex, futures, and data from over 100 stock exchanges.
Level 2 – a more detailed option enabling investors to better analyze the market depth of a single security. This level displays the 30 best bids and asks which can identify more strategic buying and selling opportunities. Webull offers this service for $1.99/month.

Margin trading

Margin trading is also available on the Webull platform. The company collects monthly interest on the loans it issues to traders.

Interest rates are governed by the debit balance as follows:

Up to $25,000 – 6.99%.
$25,000.01-$100,000 – 6.49%.
$100,000.01-$250,000 – 5.99%.
$250,000.01-$500,000 – 5.49%.
$500,000.01-$1,000,000 – 4.99%.
$1,000,000.01-$3,000,000 – 4.49%.
Over $3,000,000.01 – 3.99%.

Short selling fees

Webull also charges short selling fees if an investor wants to borrow shares of a company before selling them.

Key takeaways:

Webull is an online trading platform headquartered in New York City but majority-owned by the Chinese company Fumi Technology. It was founded in 2017 by Wang Anquan as a sophisticated chart trading platform.
Webull earns money from order flow like many similar platforms. A more unique offering is provided through a partnership with Nasdaq TotalView. This partnership gives traders access to detailed market depth analytics for a small monthly fee.
Webull also earns interest fees on margin trading and short selling. Fees are based on the amount of capital or stock borrowed.

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