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Selling shares · Trade Republic

How to sell your Trade Republic stock

Q: How much is my Trade Republic equity worth?

Value it at the EUR 12.5 billion mark from the 2025 secondary, adjusted for what you hold and (for VSOPs) your payout formula. Use our estimator as a starting point.

Trade Republic ran a €1.2 billion secondary at a €12.5 billion valuation in 2025, led by Founders Fund — a sale by early shareholders, not an employee tender. If you hold Trade Republic equity, here’s what you have, how those windows work, and the German tax.

Status Privately held · Reviewed November 2026

Trade Republic is a private German investment and broker app — still private as of November 2026, valued at about €12.5 billion after a December 2025 secondary share sale. This guide is for the Trade Republic holder.

Independent guide. PrivateTechShares is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Trade Republic. This is general educational information for people who already hold Trade Republic equity. We don’t recommend or endorse any transaction — whether to buy or sell, and on what terms, is entirely your own decision based on your own due diligence. What we do: help you prepare — a clear picture of what you hold, what it may be worth, and the paperwork.

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What you actually hold at Trade Republic

German scale-ups commonly grant VSOPs (virtual options — a cash payout tied to the share price), and some staff may hold real shares or options. The distinction matters: a VSOP pays out on a trigger and is taxed as salary, while real shares could potentially be sold in a secondary. Check your agreement for which you hold, the reference price and triggers.

Trade Republic at a glance — the dates that matter to holders

2024
Trade Republic raises at a multi-billion-euro valuation as it scales across Europe.
Dec 2025
€1.2 billion secondary led by Founders Fund (and Peter Thiel) values it at €12.5 billion; early shareholders and investors sell — not a documented employee tender.
Ongoing
Liquidity via company-arranged secondaries rather than an open market.

Figures as publicly reported (Bloomberg and Tech.eu on the €12.5bn secondary; the company’s own release). Confirm current status before relying on them.

How Trade Republic equity turns into cash

Trade Republic is private, with no open market. Its 2025 €12.5bn secondary was a sale by early shareholders and investors (Peter Thiel increased his stake) — not a publicly documented employee tender or buyback, so holders shouldn’t assume that window was open to staff. Whether you could sell in any future company-arranged window depends on what you hold: real shares may be sellable, while VSOPs pay out on a trigger rather than being sold. Any sale is subject to transfer rules.

Where holders actually find buyers → A plain-English map of every route — buybacks, tenders, company secondaries, platforms and investor networks.

The decision you’re probably facing

Can you even sell — or do you hold a VSOP? A €12.5 billion secondary sounds like a chance to cash out, but that depends on holding real shares. If you hold VSOPs, you don’t sell — you wait for a payout trigger, taxed as income. Confirm your instrument before assuming you can join a secondary.

The practical steps: confirm whether you hold shares or VSOPs, value them at the €12.5 billion mark, and check the German tax.

The tax reality (Germany)

Most German scale-ups use VSOPs (virtual stock options) — a contractual cash bonus tied to the share price, not real shares. The payout is normally taxed as employment income (income tax plus social contributions), not capital gains, which can mean a materially higher rate than selling real shares. There’s nothing to exercise and no share certificate. Take German tax advice; see our methodology.

What to expect on price

A tender has a set price; a private secondary to an outside buyer usually happens at a discount to the last headline valuation — because the buyer takes an illiquid minority stake, and you likely hold common shares worth less than investors’ preferred. See what discount is fair.

For holders

Holding Trade Republic equity? Get the occasional, no-noise update when something changes that could affect your position — we watch the private market so you don’t have to.

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Work out your Trade Republic position

Get the numbers straight: whether you hold shares or VSOPs, the value at the €12.5 billion mark, and the German tax. The free tools give you the pieces; the report runs them on your grant.

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valuation estimator · exercise cost · EU toolkit — €39

Questions people ask

Can I sell my Trade Republic shares?

Trade Republic has run a company-arranged secondary (the 2025 €12.5 billion round) in which existing shareholders sold. Whether you can join depends on holding real shares; VSOPs pay out on a trigger instead. Any sale is subject to transfer rules.

Do I hold shares or VSOPs at Trade Republic?

It depends on your package. Many German staff hold VSOPs (a cash payout tied to the share price), while some hold real shares or options. Check your agreement — it determines whether you can sell or must wait for a payout.

How is Trade Republic equity taxed in Germany?

A VSOP payout is normally taxed as employment income (not a capital gain), which can mean a higher rate; real shares sold for a gain follow German capital-gains rules. Take German tax advice.

How much is my Trade Republic equity worth?

Value it at the €12.5 billion mark from the 2025 secondary, adjusted for what you hold and (for VSOPs) your payout formula. Use our estimator as a starting point.

When is the next Trade Republic secondary?

Trade Republic arranged a secondary in December 2025, but it controls the timing of any future window and nothing is fixed. Have your numbers ready so you can act if one opens.

Do I need Trade Republic's approval to sell my shares?

Almost always, yes. Trade Republic, like most private companies, controls share transfers through a right of first refusal, transfer restrictions and board or company approval written into your equity documents. No marketplace or buyer can override that. Start by reading your grant and shareholder agreements and asking Trade Republic's stock administration what is permitted.

What tax will I pay when I sell Trade Republic shares or stock?

It depends on where you live and what you hold. In the United States, selling settled shares usually triggers capital-gains tax, and exercising options first can create a separate taxable event (including AMT on ISOs). In Europe the treatment varies by country. This is general information, not tax advice — confirm your own position with a qualified adviser before you sell.

Sources

We re-verify this page’s facts monthly — they can change between updates. Figures are as reported (November 2026); confirm current status before you rely on them.

More about Trade Republic: traderepublic.com ↗ (official site) · funding & valuation data ↗.