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Robinhood crypto trading rises 75% in Nov, CEO tips ‘9 figures’ in revenue

The trading platform posted a sharp rise in monthly crypto trading volumes in November, while CEO Vlad Tenev said he hopes to eventually reel in “nine figures” in annual revenue.

Written by

Marcella Plazas

Published on

Dec 5, 2023

Crypto-friendly trading platform Robinhood has reported a 75% month-on-month increase in digital asset trading volume in November.

In a Form 8-K filing to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Dec. 4, Robinhood noted that “November Crypto Notional Trading Volumes were roughly 75% above October 2023 levels.”

The activity, however, didn’t translate to equity and options contract trading volumes, which were mostly flat compared to October.

The bumper month marks a reversal for Robinhood, which revealed a 55% decrease in cryptocurrency notional volumes over the year in its Q3 results filing.

As a result, its Q3 revenue came in below analyst estimates for the quarter at $467 million. Transaction-based revenues declined by 11% year-on-year to $185 million, mainly due to the fall in crypto volumes over 2022.

*Robinhood’s 8-K report showing preliminary operating data for November 2023. Source: SEC*

Robinhood could be eyeing a more profitable fourth quarter in light of the recent crypto market rally, which has seen total capitalization surge 40% to $1.6 trillion over the past two months.

Robinhood co-founder and CEO Vlad Tenev told investors in a November earnings call that the platform could eventually reel “nine figures” in annual revenue.

Speaking to Yahoo Finance on Dec. 4, Tenev said that retail investors were starting to show interest in crypto again.

“You’re starting to see retail investors wake up to certain segments of the rally, and in crypto activity, you’re seeing a groundswell.”

“What tends to happen is, as we’ve seen in the past, as the price of Bitcoin approaches all-time highs, the media coverage and intensity increases,” he said before adding, “I think that plays a role also.”

Robinhood stock prices are up 18% since the beginning of 2023. The company stock, however, has been trending down since mid-July after reaching a 2023 high of just over $13. Robinhood stock was priced at $9.95 in after-hours trading after gaining 2.5% daily at the time of writing.

In addition to launching equities in United Kingdom markets, Robinhood plans to launch futures trading in 2024, pending regulatory approval.

In August, Cointelegraph reported that Robinhood had accumulated 118,000 BTC worth around $3 billion at the time.