Robinhood

Retail trading platform offering commission-free crypto and perpetual derivatives with over 28 million users

Exchange KYC required Founded 2015 United States
Visit robinhood.com
Our score
Good
Maker fee 0%
Taker fee 0%
Coins listed 90
KYC required Yes
Accepts US customers Yes

What is Robinhood?

Robinhood is an electronic retail brokerage and trading platform that lets users buy, sell, and transfer major cryptocurrencies alongside equities, exchange-traded products, and derivatives. Operating globally with over 28 million users and holding more than $14.6B in crypto total value locked, the platform provides simple custody and trading access for retail accounts.

Corporate background and leadership

Robinhood Markets, Inc. was founded in April 2013 by Vladimir Tenev and Baiju Bhatt, both Stanford University graduates who previously designed high-frequency trading platforms in New York City. Headquartered in Menlo Park, California, the company raised over $1.53B in venture capital across funding rounds led by Index Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, DST Global, and Sequoia Capital before going public.

Product features and custody structure

Robinhood Crypto operates a centralized custodial model supporting spot crypto trading across assets such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, as well as onchain deposits and withdrawals over networks including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Polygon, and Avalanche. In European jurisdictions, Robinhood EU offers trading on over 90 digital assets, perpetual futures contracts with up to 10x leverage, and tokenized US equity derivatives representing more than 2,000 stocks and exchange-traded products.

Fee schedule and geographic access

Robinhood offers commission-free trading for spot cryptocurrencies, building its costs directly into market execution spreads. Traditional equity sell orders incur SEC regulatory fees of $20.60 per $1,000,000 of principal for orders over 50 shares. Full identity verification through KYC documentation is mandatory before trading. The service operates under regulatory authorizations in the United States, holds an AML registration with the UK Financial Conduct Authority, and maintains authorization from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Regulatory track record and past incidents

The firm has operated through several notable regulatory sanctions. In December 2019, FINRA issued a $1.25 million fine regarding order execution quality, followed by a $65 million SEC settlement in December 2020 over customer disclosures regarding payment for order flow. In October 2020, credential stuffing compromised nearly 2,000 customer accounts. More recently, in January 2025, the SEC levied a combined $45 million penalty across Robinhood subsidiaries for cybersecurity lapses and reporting failures.

Founders

Vlad TenevCo-Founder
Baiju Prafulkumar BhattCo-Founder
Best for:US and European retail investorsTraders managing crypto and equities togetherEuropean users wanting leveraged perpetuals

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Zero commission trading fees on spot cryptocurrency purchases
  • Multichain deposits and withdrawals across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Polygon, and Avalanche
  • Derivative perpetual futures available with up to 10x leverage in the EU
  • Access to tokenized equity products alongside crypto on a single platform

Cons

  • Past regulatory penalties including a $45 million SEC cybersecurity fine in 2025
  • Full identity verification is required for all accounts prior to trading
  • Centralized custody model exposes users to platform counterparty risk
  • Asset availability and derivative products differ significantly by regional jurisdiction

Our review

3.5/5
Good

Robinhood offers commission-free trading across traditional equities and crypto for over 28 million users, but active crypto traders face a restricted token selection and derivative regional restrictions.

Fees4.0
Security & trust3.0
Asset selection3.0
Ease of use4.5
Support3.0

Robinhood combines conventional brokerage accounts with spot cryptocurrency trading and perpetual futures, serving more than 28 million funded accounts. Co-founders Vladimir Tenev and Baiju Bhatt launched the platform after developing high-frequency trading infrastructure in New York. The broker operates primarily in the United States, alongside regulated services in the United Kingdom and the European Union, backed by major venture firms including Index Ventures, NEA, and DST Global.

Trading execution features no base commission on equity or crypto orders, though retail users absorb regulatory exchange fees on equity sells alongside built-in crypto spreads. In Europe, users can trade over 90 crypto assets, tokenized versions of more than 2,000 US equities and ETFs, and access perpetual futures with up to 10x leverage. Traditional custodial custody eliminates self-custody responsibilities, backed by $14.68B in tracked on-chain value across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Polygon, and Avalanche as of October 2026.

Regulatory scrutiny and past platform incidents present visible trade-offs:

  • FINRA issued a $1.25 million order-routing fine in December 2019, followed by a $65 million SEC settlement in December 2020 over execution quality and payment for order flow.
  • A credential-stuffing attack in October 2020 breached nearly 2,000 accounts, resulting in unauthorized balance withdrawals.
  • The SEC levied a $45 million penalty across Robinhood entities in January 2025 regarding electronic record-keeping, cybersecurity protocols, and customer data management.

The catalog of over 90 digital assets remains narrower than dedicated global spot exchanges. Robinhood suits everyday retail investors seeking to manage equities, index trackers, and major cryptocurrencies in a single mobile interface. Advanced crypto traders who require hundreds of altcoins, private key custody, or unconstrained leverage will need a specialized crypto exchange.

Listings are researched and drafted with AI assistance from public sources, then checked for accuracy and readability. Spot an error? Tell us. Editorial policy.
Sources (3)

Specs

Markets Spot, Futures, Options, Margin · unverified
Maker fee 0% · unverified
Taker fee 0% · unverified
Coins listed 90 · unverified
KYC required ⓘ Yes · unverified
Accepts US customers Yes · unverified
Staking / earn Yes · unverified
Mobile app Yes · unverified
Futures & perpetuals Yes · unverified
Max leverage (x) 10 · unverified
Earn / savings products Yes · unverified

Not disclosed by the provider: Fiat deposit methods, Proof of reserves, Licenses & registrations, Security features, Copy trading, P2P market, User protection fund, Referral program.

Data from the provider's website and public sources. Fees and availability change; confirm on the official site before you sign up.

Key features

Spot cryptocurrency trading

Trade popular cryptocurrencies including BTC, ETH, and SOL with zero standard commissions, with over 90 digital assets available in European jurisdictions.

Perpetual futures contracts

Access perpetual derivative contracts on cryptocurrencies, commodities, and currencies offering up to 10x leverage.

Tokenized equity derivatives

Trade classic stock tokens tracking more than 2,000 US equities and exchange-traded products from a single European account balance.

Multichain transfers

Deposit and withdraw supported crypto assets across networks including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Polygon, and Avalanche.

Cash yield options

Earn uninvested euro yields up to 5% through partner money market funds managed by J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Inside Robinhood

Robinhood Brokerage & Crypto

The core trading portal allows users to buy and sell equities, ETFs, options, and major cryptocurrencies without commission fees.

Classic Stock Tokens

Available to European Union users, this section provides derivative contracts tracking over 2,000 US equities and exchange-traded products.

Perpetual-futures

Offers 24/7 perpetual contract trading on cryptocurrencies, commodities, and currencies with leverage up to 10x for eligible international clients.

Robinhood Gold

A paid subscription service providing enhanced cash sweep yields, margin trading features, and credit card rewards.

Robinhood Legend

A specialized desktop trading platform tailored for active traders using technical charting tools and market depth data.

Robinhood screenshots

Robinhood’s homepage shows a portfolio management headline and a Get started button
Robinhood’s homepage shows a portfolio management headline and a Get started button · Oct 23, 2026
Perpetual-futures: Robinhood’s perpetual futures marketing page presents trading products, leverage information, and a get-started button
Perpetual-futures: Robinhood’s perpetual futures marketing page presents trading products, leverage information, and a get-started button · Oct 23, 2026
Robinhood Legend: Robinhood’s product page presents an overview of managing stocks, ETFs, crypto, options, futures, and prediction markets
Robinhood Legend: Robinhood’s product page presents an overview of managing stocks, ETFs, crypto, options, futures, and prediction markets · Oct 23, 2026

What users say about Robinhood

Robinhood receives frequent praise for its intuitive, beginner-friendly interface and simplicity when trading stocks and crypto. However, several users express frustration with recent interface updates on iPad and mobile, as well as occasional frozen price quotes or execution glitches.

Top goods

  1. User-friendly and simple interface 12 people 123
  2. Helpful customer support 2 people 12

Top bads

  1. Disliked iPad layout and UI updates 5 people 123
  2. Frozen price quotes and trade execution delays 2 people 12

In their own words

“Investing I know absolutely nothing about investing, but Robinhood makes me feel like a Wall Street genius! 😂 The app is so easy to use, I can make questionable financial decisions with complete confidence. Still waiting for my millions, but so far, 5 stars! 📈💸”
App Store · Oct 21, 2026 · View post
“It keeps getting better! I’ve been using RH since 2022 while also using Coinbase. I can genuinely say Robinhood has substantially less fees, so if you trade multiple times a day or even weekly trades it all adds up so save yourself the money now.”
App Store · Oct 20, 2026 · View post
“Tickled I signed up for Robinhood a couple of years ago and it’s been such a pleasant experience! Now I’m feeling more confident to navigate their website and buy and sell stock and I am thrilled by how easy there company is to work with and when I’ve had to call, I always get such pleasant…”
App Store · Oct 20, 2026 · View post
“Face ID has been changed for the worst Recently updated the app, and discovered the app’s Face ID doesn’t work like other apps nor previous Robinhood versions. Now, have to stare still, without any slight movement, and stare without blinking. Ridiculous, and still takes multiple attempts.”
App Store · Oct 20, 2026 · View post
“Laggy app, slow New app update is considerably slow on launch. Buttons do not respond in a timely fashion, and pages take over a second to load. Insane that a wallet and trading app cannot be coded properly.”
App Store · Oct 20, 2026 · View post
“Frozen Quotes Scam ☆☆☆☆☆ I lost trust in Robinhood after a serious issue with an AMD options position. My contract was in the money, and I placed a limit sell order within the displayed bid–ask range—even lowering it toward the bottom of that range—but it never executed.”
App Store · Oct 19, 2026 · View post

Based on 48 App Store reviews from the last 12 months, checked Oct 23, 2026. These are posts by users on other sites, not reviews submitted on CryptoReview.

User reviews

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Funding and investors

$1.5BTotal raised
8Rounds
5Investors
  1. Series G Aug 2020 $200M
    Source
  2. Series F May 2020 $280M
    Source
  3. Series E Jul 2019 $323M
    Source
  4. Series D May 2018 $363M
    Source
  5. Series C Apr 2017 $110M
    Source
  6. Series B May 2015 $50M
    Source
  7. Series A Sep 2014 $13M
    Source
  8. Seed Dec 2013 $3M
    Source

FAQ

Who founded Robinhood?

Vladimir Tenev and Baiju Bhatt founded Robinhood in April 2013. Both founders studied at Stanford University and previously engineered high-frequency trading platforms in New York.

What fees does Robinhood charge for trading?

Robinhood charges 0% commission on equity and cryptocurrency trades. For equity sell orders, regulatory transaction fees apply, including an SEC fee of $20.60 per $1,000,000 of principal.

Where is Robinhood available?

Robinhood operates in the United States, the United Kingdom, and across the European Union. Product offerings vary by region, with perpetual futures and stock tokens restricted to specific jurisdictions.

Has Robinhood experienced security incidents or regulatory fines?

Yes, nearly 2,000 accounts were compromised in October 2020 through credential stuffing attacks. Additionally, the SEC fined Robinhood entities $45 million in January 2025 over cybersecurity, reporting, and customer data compliance failures.

How many cryptocurrencies does Robinhood support?

Robinhood supports over 90 cryptocurrencies in its international markets, focusing on major digital assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana.

Does Robinhood offer crypto derivatives?

Robinhood provides perpetual futures contracts on crypto, commodities, and currencies with up to 10x leverage in select regions like the European Union. These derivatives are subject to regional eligibility and regulatory checks.

Latest from Robinhood on X

Robinhood
@RobinhoodApp · 1.4M followers
Follow
welcome home, gold card

https://t.co/GhQLFnJbh1 Terms Apply. A $50 annual Robinhood Gold subscription is required.
29 3 115 23.1K View on X
Which midterm market have you found yourself checking most often?
80 16 228 45.5K View on X
waking up and remembering you own a tiny piece of a company you love >
215 53 875 75.6K View on X
Texas Senate:
🟥 Ken Paxton: 33%
🟦 James Talarico: 69%
62 24 494 104.8K View on X
no opening bell this halloween. just the doorbell.
93 26 400 49.5K View on X

Recent public posts from @RobinhoodApp, shown as published. Not reviewed or endorsed by CryptoReview.

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