Centralized Exchanges · Review
ActiveRobinhood Review 2026: Regulated Crypto and Stock Trading
Robinhood is a US-based brokerage that also offers crypto trading through Robinhood Crypto, alongside stocks, options, futures and more. It is a regulated, custodial platform best suited to people who want one app for several asset types.
By the DappsAtlas editorial team · Updated
DappsAtlas score
7.8/10
Good
Our verdict on Robinhood
7.8/10Robinhood suits beginners and active retail investors in supported regions who want stocks, options, futures and crypto in one regulated app, starting from $1. Its main strength is breadth combined with a licensed, broker-dealer structure. The main caveat is custody: crypto is held by Robinhood and is not FDIC insured or SIPC protected, and crypto fees are not detailed publicly here. Read the fee schedule and risk disclosures first.
Score breakdown
How Robinhood scores
- Security
- 7.5/10
- Ease of use
- 8.5/10
- Fees
- 6.0/10
- Features
- 8.5/10
Scores run from 0 to 10 and are based only on facts we could verify. Where information was missing we mark the score n/a rather than guess.
What is Robinhood?
Robinhood is a US-based financial services company that began as a commission-free stock trading app. According to its site, users can now trade stocks, ETFs, crypto, options, futures and prediction markets in one place, starting with as little as $1. Public reporting describes it as a publicly traded company founded in 2013 and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, with a Google Play listing citing over 28 million users.
Crypto is offered through Robinhood Crypto, LLC. The homepage names BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, DOGE and SHIB among tradable coins and describes crypto trading as available 24/7. The product menu also lists Earn, Staking, Chain, Wallet, Connect and API, though public sources provided do not explain these in detail.
DefiLlama categorises Robinhood as a centralized exchange with about $14.6 billion in tracked assets on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Polygon and Avalanche. It lists no native token and no audits.
How Robinhood works
Robinhood is a centralized platform. You open an account, deposit funds, and place orders through the app or website, or through Robinhood Legend for more advanced tools. The company holds the assets in custody on your behalf rather than giving you direct control of private keys.
The services sit under different legal entities. Stocks and funds go through Robinhood Financial, a registered broker-dealer. Crypto is offered through Robinhood Crypto, LLC. Futures are offered through Robinhood Derivatives, and managed portfolios through Robinhood Asset Management, an SEC-registered investment advisor.
The DefiLlama listing treats Robinhood as a centralized exchange and shows about $14.6 billion in assets across Bitcoin, Ethereum, Polygon and Avalanche. That figure reflects wallets tracked by DefiLlama, not a DeFi protocol's locked value.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Regulated structure: crypto is licensed by the New York State Department of Financial Services and brokerage runs through SIPC-member broker-dealers.
- One app covers stocks, ETFs, options, futures, crypto and prediction markets.
- Low entry point, with trading starting from $1.
- Crypto trading is described as available 24/7.
- Multi-factor authentication is offered on all accounts, per the site.
- Large tracked asset base of about $14.6 billion on DefiLlama.
Watch out for
- Crypto held through Robinhood Crypto is not FDIC insured or SIPC protected, according to its own disclosures.
- It is a custodial platform, so users do not control private keys for assets held in the app.
- Fee details sit in a separate fee schedule and are not summarised on the homepage, so total cost is hard to judge from public information here.
- The homepage describes services mainly for US users, so availability and product range may differ elsewhere.
- Options, futures and prediction markets carry significant risk, and the site warns losses can exceed the original investment on some options strategies.
- DefiLlama lists no audits and no native token, so there is little on-chain verification of reserves.
Robinhood fees
The homepage advertises commission-free stock trading and says terms and fees may apply, referring users to a Fee Schedule. The crypto fee structure, including any spread or markup, is not described, so check the fee schedule and the order screen before trading.
Robinhood Gold is listed at $5 per month, and Gold members get zero management fees on every dollar over $100K in the Strategies managed portfolio. Other fees may apply to the brokerage account, according to the site's disclosures.
Is Robinhood safe?
Robinhood is a custodial platform, so counterparty risk applies. Its own disclosures state that cryptocurrency held through Robinhood Crypto is not FDIC insured or SIPC protected. Stocks and funds held at its broker-dealers are described as SIPC members, but investing products are not FDIC insured and can lose principal.
Robinhood Crypto says it holds a New York State Department of Financial Services licence for virtual currency business activity. The site also promotes a Protection Guarantee, multi-factor authentication and 24/7 support. Public sources provided do not include security audits, proof-of-reserves data or an incident history, so this review does not rate those. Options and futures carry additional risk, and some options strategies can lose more than the original investment.
6 steps
How to get started with Robinhood
- 1
Check that Robinhood's services are available where you live, since the homepage content is aimed at US users.
- 2
Download the Robinhood app or visit the website and create an account, completing the identity checks required.
- 3
Read the fee schedule and the Crypto Risk Disclosures before placing any trade.
- 4
Fund the account and start with a small amount, since crypto purchases can begin at $1.
- 5
Turn on multi-factor authentication, which the site says is available on all accounts.
- 6
Choose assets such as BTC, ETH or SOL, and review each order before confirming.
Who Robinhood is for
Robinhood fits newer investors and retail traders in supported regions who want a simple app covering several asset types, including crypto. It is less suited to people who want self-custody, on-chain DeFi access, or clearly published crypto fee tables upfront.
Press releases
Robinhood in the news
- Trading Technologies Expands Institutional Digital Asset Access Through Bitstamp by Robinhood
PR Newswire ·
Issuers' own announcements, published as distributed. Not verified by us.
Robinhood FAQs
What is Robinhood?
Robinhood is a financial services company headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It offers commission-free stock trading, options, futures, crypto, retirement accounts and related services. It is publicly traded under the ticker HOOD.
Can you trade crypto on Robinhood?
Yes. Crypto is offered through Robinhood Crypto, LLC, and the homepage says users can buy, sell and transfer coins including BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, DOGE and SHIB, starting from as little as $1. Crypto trading is described as available 24/7.
Is Robinhood regulated?
Robinhood Crypto states it is licensed for virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Brokerage services run through registered broker-dealers that are SIPC members. Crypto held through Robinhood Crypto is not FDIC insured or SIPC protected.
Does Robinhood charge fees?
The homepage advertises commission-free stock trading and says terms and fees may apply. It points users to a fee schedule for details. Robinhood Gold is listed at $5 per month. Check the fee schedule for crypto costs before trading.
What is Robinhood Gold?
The site lists a Robinhood Gold subscription at $5 per month and says Gold members get zero management fees on every dollar over $100K in the Strategies managed portfolio. Terms apply.
Is Robinhood a self-custody wallet?
It is a centralized, custodial service, so Robinhood holds the assets on your behalf. The site also lists a Wallet product, but public sources provided do not describe how it works. Read its terms before relying on it.
Compare
Robinhood alternatives
OKX is a major centralized crypto exchange for spot and derivatives trading, earn products and a Web3 wallet, with its own OKB token.
Gate is a centralized crypto exchange founded in 2013 offering spot, futures, stocks and earn products for traders who want one multi-asset account.
Bitget is a centralized exchange for crypto spot and futures that also offers tokenized stocks, commodities and forex in one account, for active traders.
Deribit is a centralized crypto derivatives exchange known for Bitcoin and Ethereum options, plus futures, perpetuals and spot, aimed at active and institutiona
Backpack is a crypto exchange, US stock broker and self-custody wallet offering perps, lending yield and cross-collateral margin in one app.
HTX, formerly Huobi Global, is a centralized crypto exchange offering spot, margin and futures trading on 600+ assets for active traders.
Same category
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Bitvavo is an Amsterdam-based, MiCA-authorized crypto exchange offering 400+ assets, euro deposits, staking and leverage trading for European users.
Crypto.com is a centralized crypto exchange and app for buying, trading and spending 400+ coins, with a Visa card, staking and a separate self-custody wallet.
Coinsquare is a CIRO-registered Canadian crypto exchange with 60+ coins, staking and a wealth service, now described as part of Robinhood.
SwissBorg is a MiCA-regulated European crypto app that aggregates exchanges for trading, with Auto-Invest, Earn and a BORG loyalty token.
Phemex is a centralized crypto exchange offering spot, futures up to 150X, copy trading, bots and earn products for retail and active traders.
NBX is a Norwegian, MiCA-authorized centralized crypto exchange listed on Euronext Growth Oslo, built for Nordic users trading in kroner.
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Lombard issues LBTC, a yield-bearing Bitcoin token backed 1:1 by BTC, for holders and institutions who want to use Bitcoin in DeFi.
THORChain is a Layer 1 DEX for swapping native assets across blockchains without wrapped tokens or bridges, aimed at self-custody and no-KYC users.
OKX Wallet is a self-custody multi-chain crypto wallet from the OKX exchange, with swaps, bridges, DApp access and trading tools for active onchain users.
A free local tool for generating custom wallet, contract and Solana mint addresses across multiple chains.
Babylon is a Bitcoin collateral infrastructure project that lets holders stake native BTC or use it as collateral without wrapping or bridging.
tBTC is Threshold Network's decentralized bridge that mints a 1:1 Bitcoin-backed token on Ethereum for DeFi and institutional Bitcoin use.
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How we checked
Sources
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