The online brokerage introduces real-time position sharing amid a push for active traders.
It also unveils AI tools and futures trading as competition in the retail trading industry intensifies.
Robinhood (NASDAQ:
HOOD) brought to
light plans for a social trading platform that lets users share live positions
and trading performance, taking aim at Reddit's influential WallStreetBets
community as the online broker pushes deeper into active trading services.
The company
announced Robinhood Social at its annual HOOD Summit in Las Vegas, along with
artificial intelligence-powered trading tools and expanded futures offerings.
The social platform will launch by invitation to select U.S. customers early
next year before expanding more broadly.
Vlad Tenev, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Robinhood, Source: LinkedIn
CEO Vlad
Tenev positioned the moves as part of transforming Robinhood into what he
called a “financial superapp” beyond basic stock trading. It “is no
longer just where you trade,” he added.
The
announcement comes as commission-free brokers face pressure to attract and
retain active traders who generate higher revenue through frequent
transactions.
Robinhood Goes Social: Real-Time
Position Tracking Differentiates Platform
Robinhood
Social requires users to include actual trades when posting, with positions
updating automatically as prices move. The platform will display verified
profit-and-loss statements, daily performance metrics, and trading histories
for followed users.
Abhishek Fatehpuria, Robinhood's Vice President of Product Management
“We
always thought it was something that we wanted to get into more of, especially
with social and investing becoming more and more tied together,” said
Abhishek Fatehpuria, Robinhood's Vice President of Product Management.
The
platform will also feature profiles of public figures like politicians and
hedge fund managers, populated through mandatory regulatory filings, even if
they don't use Robinhood directly.
The company
expanded its
browser-based Legend platform with AI-powered features through “Robinhood
Cortex.” Traders can now request custom technical indicators and
market scanners using plain English, with the system building tools without
requiring coding knowledge.
Robinhood
also added
futures trading to Legend, offering contracts on commodities,
cryptocurrencies, and market indexes with commissions starting at 50 cents for
Gold subscribers. The platform supports 40-plus CME Group products including
S&P 500, oil, Bitcoin, and gold futures.
“With
futures on Legend, you can trade directly on any chart or widget quickly and
confidently as soon as you spot a trend, or you can trade on the ladder with
the same elegant and intuitive experience you’ve come to expect since launching
on mobile earlier this year,” the company commented in the official
announcement.
Additional
features include trading ladders for rapid order execution across stocks, ETFs,
and crypto, plus device linking between mobile and desktop platforms. The
company plans to introduce short selling capabilities in coming months, along
with overnight trading for select index options.
Competition Heats Up for
Active Trading Market
The social
platform represents Robinhood's latest effort to
compete with established players targeting active traders. Major brokers
like Interactive Brokers and TD Ameritrade have long dominated the space with
advanced tools and lower fees for frequent traders.
Robinhood's
approach focuses on simplicity and integration across asset classes, allowing
users to trade stocks, options, futures, crypto, and prediction markets within
a single interface. The company emphasizes speed and ease of use over the
complex features preferred by institutional traders. It
also added tokenized stocks to its offering recently.
Moreover, Robinhood
is still expanding its binary event contracts portfolio. Last month it expanded
its prediction markets to include professional and college football in the
US.
The social
component aims to address authenticity concerns around trading advice shared on
external platforms, where users can easily manipulate screenshots or fabricate
positions. Robinhood's verified approach ensures posted trades reflect actual
account activity.
Revenue Strategy Shifts
Toward Active Users
The
expansion supports Robinhood's strategy of generating more revenue per customer
through increased trading activity and premium services. Gold memberships cost
$5 monthly or $50 annually, providing access to advanced features and reduced
futures commissions.
The company
has evolved from primarily serving buy-and-hold investors to targeting more
sophisticated traders who execute multiple transactions daily. Active traders
typically generate significantly higher revenue through payment
for order flow (PFOF) and margin lending.
Robinhood
Social will launch without additional fees, funded through existing Gold
subscriptions and trading revenue. The company expects broader platform
availability to follow the initial invitation-only period, though specific
timing remains undetermined.
Robinhood (NASDAQ:
HOOD) brought to
light plans for a social trading platform that lets users share live positions
and trading performance, taking aim at Reddit's influential WallStreetBets
community as the online broker pushes deeper into active trading services.
The company
announced Robinhood Social at its annual HOOD Summit in Las Vegas, along with
artificial intelligence-powered trading tools and expanded futures offerings.
The social platform will launch by invitation to select U.S. customers early
next year before expanding more broadly.
Vlad Tenev, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Robinhood, Source: LinkedIn
CEO Vlad
Tenev positioned the moves as part of transforming Robinhood into what he
called a “financial superapp” beyond basic stock trading. It “is no
longer just where you trade,” he added.
The
announcement comes as commission-free brokers face pressure to attract and
retain active traders who generate higher revenue through frequent
transactions.
Robinhood Goes Social: Real-Time
Position Tracking Differentiates Platform
Robinhood
Social requires users to include actual trades when posting, with positions
updating automatically as prices move. The platform will display verified
profit-and-loss statements, daily performance metrics, and trading histories
for followed users.
Abhishek Fatehpuria, Robinhood's Vice President of Product Management
“We
always thought it was something that we wanted to get into more of, especially
with social and investing becoming more and more tied together,” said
Abhishek Fatehpuria, Robinhood's Vice President of Product Management.
The
platform will also feature profiles of public figures like politicians and
hedge fund managers, populated through mandatory regulatory filings, even if
they don't use Robinhood directly.
The company
expanded its
browser-based Legend platform with AI-powered features through “Robinhood
Cortex.” Traders can now request custom technical indicators and
market scanners using plain English, with the system building tools without
requiring coding knowledge.
Robinhood
also added
futures trading to Legend, offering contracts on commodities,
cryptocurrencies, and market indexes with commissions starting at 50 cents for
Gold subscribers. The platform supports 40-plus CME Group products including
S&P 500, oil, Bitcoin, and gold futures.
“With
futures on Legend, you can trade directly on any chart or widget quickly and
confidently as soon as you spot a trend, or you can trade on the ladder with
the same elegant and intuitive experience you’ve come to expect since launching
on mobile earlier this year,” the company commented in the official
announcement.
Additional
features include trading ladders for rapid order execution across stocks, ETFs,
and crypto, plus device linking between mobile and desktop platforms. The
company plans to introduce short selling capabilities in coming months, along
with overnight trading for select index options.
Competition Heats Up for
Active Trading Market
The social
platform represents Robinhood's latest effort to
compete with established players targeting active traders. Major brokers
like Interactive Brokers and TD Ameritrade have long dominated the space with
advanced tools and lower fees for frequent traders.
Robinhood's
approach focuses on simplicity and integration across asset classes, allowing
users to trade stocks, options, futures, crypto, and prediction markets within
a single interface. The company emphasizes speed and ease of use over the
complex features preferred by institutional traders. It
also added tokenized stocks to its offering recently.
Moreover, Robinhood
is still expanding its binary event contracts portfolio. Last month it expanded
its prediction markets to include professional and college football in the
US.
The social
component aims to address authenticity concerns around trading advice shared on
external platforms, where users can easily manipulate screenshots or fabricate
positions. Robinhood's verified approach ensures posted trades reflect actual
account activity.
Revenue Strategy Shifts
Toward Active Users
The
expansion supports Robinhood's strategy of generating more revenue per customer
through increased trading activity and premium services. Gold memberships cost
$5 monthly or $50 annually, providing access to advanced features and reduced
futures commissions.
The company
has evolved from primarily serving buy-and-hold investors to targeting more
sophisticated traders who execute multiple transactions daily. Active traders
typically generate significantly higher revenue through payment
for order flow (PFOF) and margin lending.
Robinhood
Social will launch without additional fees, funded through existing Gold
subscriptions and trading revenue. The company expects broader platform
availability to follow the initial invitation-only period, though specific
timing remains undetermined.
Damian's adventure with financial markets began at the Cracow University of Economics, where he obtained his MA in finance and accounting. Starting from the retail trader perspective, he collaborated with brokerage houses and financial portals in Poland as an independent editor and content manager. His adventure with Finance Magnates began in 2016, where he is working as a business intelligence analyst.
iFOREX Adds Saudi and South Korean Equity CFDs as IPO Is Delayed
Executive Interview | Charlotte Bullock | Chief Product Officer, Bank of London | FMLS:25
Executive Interview | Charlotte Bullock | Chief Product Officer, Bank of London | FMLS:25
In this interview, we sat down with Charlotte Bullock, Head of Product at The Bank of London, previously at SAP and now shaping product at one of the sector’s most ambitious new banking players.
Charlotte reflects on the Summit so far and talks about the culture inside fintech banks today. We look at the pressures that come with scaling, and how firms can hold onto the nimble approach that made them stand out early on.
We also cover the state of payments ahead of her appearance on the payments roundtable: the blockages financial firms face, the areas that still need fixing, and what a realistic solution looks like in 2026.
In this interview, we sat down with Charlotte Bullock, Head of Product at The Bank of London, previously at SAP and now shaping product at one of the sector’s most ambitious new banking players.
Charlotte reflects on the Summit so far and talks about the culture inside fintech banks today. We look at the pressures that come with scaling, and how firms can hold onto the nimble approach that made them stand out early on.
We also cover the state of payments ahead of her appearance on the payments roundtable: the blockages financial firms face, the areas that still need fixing, and what a realistic solution looks like in 2026.
In this conversation, we sit down with Drew Niv, CSO at ATFX Connect and one of the most influential figures in modern FX.
We speak about market structure, the institutional view on liquidity, and the sharp rise of prop trading, a sector Drew has been commenting on in recent months. Drew explains why he once dismissed prop trading, why his view changed, and what he now thinks the model means for brokers, clients and risk managers.
We explore subscription-fee dependency, the high reneging rate, and the long-term challenge: how brokers can build a more stable and honest version of the model. Drew also talks about the traffic advantage standalone prop firms have built and why brokers may still win in the long run if they take the right approach.
In this conversation, we sit down with Drew Niv, CSO at ATFX Connect and one of the most influential figures in modern FX.
We speak about market structure, the institutional view on liquidity, and the sharp rise of prop trading, a sector Drew has been commenting on in recent months. Drew explains why he once dismissed prop trading, why his view changed, and what he now thinks the model means for brokers, clients and risk managers.
We explore subscription-fee dependency, the high reneging rate, and the long-term challenge: how brokers can build a more stable and honest version of the model. Drew also talks about the traffic advantage standalone prop firms have built and why brokers may still win in the long run if they take the right approach.
Executive Interview | Remonda Z. Kirketerp Møller| CEO & Founder Muinmos | FMLS:25
Executive Interview | Remonda Z. Kirketerp Møller| CEO & Founder Muinmos | FMLS:25
In this interview, Remonda Z. Kirketerp Møller, founder of Muinmos, breaks down the state of AI in regtech and what responsible adoption really looks like for brokers. We talk about rising fragmentation, the pressures around compliance accuracy, and why most firms are still in the early stages of AI maturity.
Ramanda also shares insights on regulator sandboxes, shifting expectations around accountability, and the current reality of MiCA licensing and passporting in Europe.
A concise look at where compliance, onboarding, and AI-driven processes are heading next.
In this interview, Remonda Z. Kirketerp Møller, founder of Muinmos, breaks down the state of AI in regtech and what responsible adoption really looks like for brokers. We talk about rising fragmentation, the pressures around compliance accuracy, and why most firms are still in the early stages of AI maturity.
Ramanda also shares insights on regulator sandboxes, shifting expectations around accountability, and the current reality of MiCA licensing and passporting in Europe.
A concise look at where compliance, onboarding, and AI-driven processes are heading next.
In this conversation, we speak with Aydin Bonabi, CEO and co-founder of Surveill, a firm focused on fraud detection and AI-driven compliance tools for financial institutions.
We start with Aydin’s view of the Summit and the challenges brokers face as fraud tactics grow more complex. He explains how firms can stay ahead through real-time signals, data patterns, and early-stage detection.
We also talk about AI training and why compliance teams often struggle to keep models accurate, fair, and aligned with regulatory expectations. Aydin breaks down what “good” AI training looks like inside a financial environment, including the importance of clean data, domain expertise, and human oversight.
He closes with a clear message: fraud is scaling, and so must the tools that stop it.
In this conversation, we speak with Aydin Bonabi, CEO and co-founder of Surveill, a firm focused on fraud detection and AI-driven compliance tools for financial institutions.
We start with Aydin’s view of the Summit and the challenges brokers face as fraud tactics grow more complex. He explains how firms can stay ahead through real-time signals, data patterns, and early-stage detection.
We also talk about AI training and why compliance teams often struggle to keep models accurate, fair, and aligned with regulatory expectations. Aydin breaks down what “good” AI training looks like inside a financial environment, including the importance of clean data, domain expertise, and human oversight.
He closes with a clear message: fraud is scaling, and so must the tools that stop it.
Exness expands its presence in Africa: Inside our interview with Paul Margarites in Cape Town
Exness expands its presence in Africa: Inside our interview with Paul Margarites in Cape Town
Finance Magnates met with Paul Margarites, Exness regional commercial director for Sub-Saharan Africa, during a visit to the firm’s office opening in Cape Town. In this talk, led by Andrea Badiola Mateos, Co-CEO at Finance Magnates, Paul shares views on the South African trading space, local user behavior, mobile trends, regulation, team growth, and how Exness plans to grow in more markets across the region. @Exness
Read the article at: https://www.financemagnates.com/thought-leadership/exness-expands-its-presence-in-africa-inside-our-interview-with-paul-margarites/
#exness #financemagnates #exnesstrading #CFDtrading #tradeonline #africanews #capetown
Finance Magnates met with Paul Margarites, Exness regional commercial director for Sub-Saharan Africa, during a visit to the firm’s office opening in Cape Town. In this talk, led by Andrea Badiola Mateos, Co-CEO at Finance Magnates, Paul shares views on the South African trading space, local user behavior, mobile trends, regulation, team growth, and how Exness plans to grow in more markets across the region. @Exness
Read the article at: https://www.financemagnates.com/thought-leadership/exness-expands-its-presence-in-africa-inside-our-interview-with-paul-margarites/
#exness #financemagnates #exnesstrading #CFDtrading #tradeonline #africanews #capetown
