tapebrief

HOOD · Q4 2025 Earnings

Bullish

Robinhood Markets

Reported January 30, 2026

30-second summary

Robinhood closed FY2025 with Q4 revenue of $1.3B (+27% YoY), record FY revenue of $4.5B (+52%), adjusted EBITDA of $2.5B (76% growth, 56% margin), EPS of $2.05, total platform assets of $324B (+70% YoY), and FY net deposits of $68B (+35%). Q4 alone delivered $16B of net deposits — the eighth straight quarter above $10B. On top of that record print, management used the call to elevate prediction markets to a "super cycle" with trillion-dollar volume potential, then explicitly positioned private markets via Robinhood Ventures as potentially even bigger — the most expansive forward narrative management has issued. FY26 guidance lands at $2.6–$2.725B of adjusted OpEx+SBC (18% YoY growth at midpoint) alongside a reaffirmed 20%+ net deposit growth target, with Q1 already off to a $7B+ start.

Guidance

Company pivots to FY2026 guidance with 20%+ net deposit growth target and 18% YoY expense growth, signaling confidence in platform momentum while maintaining disciplined cost control.

Guidance is issued for the full year only, refreshed each quarter. Prior and new below are the same FY updated this quarter.

New guidance

MetricPeriodGuideYoY
Adjusted OPEX and SBCFY 2026$2.6 to $2.725 billion
Adjusted OPEX and SBC Expense GrowthFY 202618% year-over-year
Net Deposit GrowthFY 202620% plus

Other KPIs

Q4 FY2025
SegmentQ4 FY2025
S&P 500 Stocks - Non-Directed Orders100.00%
Non-S&P 500 Stocks - Non-Directed Orders100.00%
Options - Non-Directed Orders100.00%
Top Venue (Stocks, S&P 500): Virtu Americas46.32% of non-directed orders
Top Venue (Stocks, Non-S&P 500): Virtu Americas34.57% of non-directed orders
Top Venue (Options): CITADEL SECURITIES LLC39.84% of non-directed orders

Management tone

Q1 product roadmap framing → Q2 wallet-share inflection → Q3 platform diversification proof → Q4 multi-trillion TAM expansion

Prediction markets escalated from "fastest-growing business" to "super cycle worth trillions" in one quarter. Q3 anchored to a $300M annualized run rate based on October volumes. This quarter management vaulted past that quantitative frame and into pure TAM language: "300 million plus run rate in its first year. I think we're just at the beginning of a prediction market super cycle that could drive trillions in annual volume over time." Paired with 12B contracts traded in 2025 and 4B+ already in early 2026, plus the Rothera JV close and thousands of non-sports contracts, management is now positioning prediction markets as a category-defining business, not a product line.

Private markets leap-frogged prediction markets in ambition. A quarter ago Robinhood Ventures was framed as "just the start" of a multi-trillion access gap. This quarter: "And now we think private markets could become even bigger than prediction markets. And I'm really excited about what we're building here." Stacking that against the trillion-dollar prediction markets framing implies management now sees private markets as the single largest forward opportunity in the business.

Tokenization moved from "strategic pillar" to "global financial ecosystem peer to trading." Q2 introduced stock tokens as the moat. Q3 described phase one (live, 400+ tokens) through phase three (DeFi, self-custody, collateralized lending). This quarter: "The big theme here is tokenization...we now have 2,000 stock tokens available to customers in Europe...it's early in the tokenization industry, but we've built a leadership position already." The token count grew 5x in two quarters, and management is targeting 24/7 trading and self-custody as differentiators by end of 2026.

Multi-generational platform replaced active-trader-first as the headline customer thesis. Through Q2 and Q3 the wallet-share narrative was the dominant frame. This quarter Vlad explicitly broadened it: "This year, it'll really become a multigenerational platform...we believe we can be the major beneficiary of the $100 trillion-plus wealth transfer." Custodial accounts, family infrastructure, and structured wealth transfer positioning are now the explicit retention vehicle.

Management explicitly acknowledged they have outrun their own roadmap. "I think in hindsight, we realize we underestimated what we could do in one year, not to mention 10 years." That sentence is the most confident statement Vlad has made in any quarter Tapebrief has covered, and it directly sets up the FY26 spend ramp as the funding mechanism for an accelerated, not steady, product velocity.

Recurring themes management leaned on this quarter:

Prediction markets as fast-growing core business with supercycle potentialFamily/multigenerational platform positioning for wealth transferTokenization and DeFi as core long-term strategy, not peripheralPrivate markets democratization via Robinhood VenturesAI integration across engineering and customer support driving efficiencyPortfolio diversification to 11 $100M+ revenue businesses

Risks management surfaced:

Regulatory developments that we continue to monitorExecution risk on ambitious 2026 roadmap across multiple new productsCompetition in prediction markets and tokenization from other platformsPotential market volatility impact on trading volumes and net depositsInternational expansion regulatory and compliance complexities

Q&A highlights

Alex Markgraf · KeyBank

What is the product team working on for prediction markets post-JV close, beyond expanding the contract list?

Robinhood is refining the down-funnel trading experience with tools like combos and player contracts, leveraging contextual discovery across app surfaces (e.g., showing relevant prediction markets on stock detail pages), revamping search/home for multi-asset integration, and streamlining the first-time prediction markets customer experience. The Rothera JV provides vertical control over contracts and pricing economics.

Added combos and player contracts for deeper tradingRevamped search, discovery, and home to be multi-assetRothera JV provides control over full product stack and monetizationEnabling first-time prediction markets customers to cross-sell to retirement and other products

Ben Budish · Barclays

What is the current sports vs. non-sports contract mix in prediction markets, and how is Robinhood thinking about customer acquisition incentives given competitive pressure?

Management confirmed significant non-sports diversification with thousands of contracts available and success with non-sports events (e.g., government shutdown contracts driving volume in January). On customer acquisition, the primary lever is the 27M customer base via contextual surfacing, supplemented by referrals and learn-and-earn programs. Management is being ROI-disciplined on promotions and marketing spend.

Thousands of contracts now available beyond sportsGovernment shutdown contract drove significant volume post-NFL season27 million customer base for internal cross-sellingReferrals and learn-and-earn programs for activation

James Yarrow · Goldman Sachs

Where is Robinhood prioritizing international expansion and how does the company differentiate its strategy between Europe and Asia?

UK and EU are mature markets receiving deeper product rounds (stock and shares ISAs, multi-currency wallets). EU is a tokenization testbed where Robinhood operates on crypto rails without traditional stocks. Southeast Asia and new markets will launch with faster feature rollout given regulatory groundwork and international-first architecture. International customer base reached 750k; management expects millions in the near term.

750,000 international customers currentlyUK: Added stock and shares ISAs, multi-currency walletsEU: Tokenization test case with stock tokens, not traditional stocksTarget: 24/7 trading and self-custody advantages for tokenized offerings by end of 2026

Dan Doloff · Mizuho

Given recent AI-driven headwinds for competitors, why isn't Robinhood seeing AI as a tailwind, and what is the company's AI roadmap?

Management asserts AI will transform financial services. Cortex Assistant is rolling out in coming weeks. On trading, Cortex Legend and in-app Cortex are in development. On advisory, self-serve AI tools and advisor workflow redefinition are both underway. Cortex has made progress on providing advice; conversations with regulators underway to ensure safe rollout with potential to transform wealth management.

Cortex Assistant rolling out to customers in coming weeksCortex Legend and in-app Cortex for tradingConversations with regulators on advisory-like AI adviceTwo-pronged advisory strategy: self-serve tools and advisor workflow streamlining

Patrick Moley · Piper Sandler

Can you elaborate on Rothera economics and explain why Robinhood wouldn't migrate all prediction market volume to its own JV venue?

Management's north star is customer experience and best pricing, not maximum internal monetization. Rothera economics: customers currently pay 2 cents total (1 cent to Robinhood as FCM, 1 cent to exchange); Robinhood will control full economics through the JV. Robinhood owns 45%, Susquehanna 45%, MyEx 10%. Management remains open to other FCMs and counterparties connecting, prioritizing competitive market quality over volume capture.

Current: 2 cents total cost (1 cent Robinhood FCM, 1 cent exchange)Rothera ownership: Robinhood 45%, Susquehanna 45%, MyEx 10%Robinhood controls full product stack and monetizationTarget launch: middle of 2026

Answers to last quarter's watch list

Prediction markets Q4 revenue print vs the $300M annualized October pace — Management did not break out a Q4 prediction markets revenue figure but disclosed 12B+ contracts traded in 2025 and 4B+ already in 2026. The "$300M+ run rate in its first year" was reaffirmed and reframed as the start of a "super cycle" driving "trillions in annual volume." Diversification past sports was demonstrated with thousands of non-sports contracts and a successful January government-shutdown contract.
Resolved positively
Robinhood Ventures 1 launch out of quiet period — Management remains in SEC quiet period; N-2 publicly on file. No launch date, fund size, or final fee structure disclosed. However, the strategic framing escalated meaningfully: private markets now positioned as potentially "even bigger than prediction markets.".
Continue monitoring
FY2025 OpEx+SBC final print vs the ~$2.28B guide — Resolved. Q4 adjusted OpEx+SBC came in at $597M, ~$15M below the latest outlook, implying FY25 actual ~$2.265B vs. the ~$2.28B prior guide. The FY26 envelope of $2.6–$2.725B (midpoint ~$2.66B) is 18% growth off that actual base. Status: Resolved
Banking deposit disclosure — Resolved. 25K+ funded customers, >$400M in balances, >50% direct deposit attach, 3.5% APY. Strong early product-market-fit signal. Status: Resolved
Crypto take rate sustainability into Q1 — Resolved. Shiv disclosed Q1 take rate running ~5bps lower than Q4 average rebate rate, attributable to active-trader mix shift onto higher volume tiers during lower-volatility periods. Status: Resolved
Tokenized equities phase-two activation on Bitstamp — Tokenization scaled to 2,000 EU stock tokens (5x Q3's 400+) and management committed to 24/7 trading and self-custody advantages "by end of 2026." Phase-two Bitstamp secondary-trading activation timing not explicitly disclosed.
Continue monitoring
CFO transition — Resolved. Shiv Verma is now CFO, with Vlad noting this was "the first time with Shiv as CFO, following in Jason's big footsteps." Status: Resolved

What to watch into next quarter

Q1 FY2026 net deposits final print vs the $7B+ Q1-to-date anchor — management has now publicly anchored to a strong Q1; a full-quarter print below $13B would suggest the year-opening pace was front-loaded promotional activity rather than structural momentum. The 20%+ FY26 deposit growth target depends on Q1 holding above $14B.

Robinhood Ventures 1 actual launch date, fund size, and non-accredited access mechanism — pending now for two consecutive quarters. Continued silence into Q1 would suggest SEC friction; an actual launch with disclosed AUM and fee structure would validate the "bigger than prediction markets" framing.

Rothera JV launch timing — mid-2026 commitment — any slippage past Q3 2026 would compress the FY26 prediction markets monetization runway. Watch for any update on FCM onboarding and regulatory approvals.

Cortex Assistant customer rollout and measurable engagement — committed to ship "in coming weeks." By Q1 we should have an early read on attach rate or interaction volume.

Gold Card scale-up — management committed to "more than doubling" Gold Card customers from 600K to well over 1M by year-end. Q1 should show the early pace.

Banking deposit trajectory — strong start at $400M+ across 25K+ funded customers; Q1 should test whether 3.5% APY plus direct-deposit attach can compound into a $1B+ deposit footprint.

FY26 OpEx+SBC pacing vs the $2.6B–$2.725B envelope — at 18% midpoint growth, Q1 OpEx materially above $650M would signal the high end of the range is more likely; below $620M would suggest discipline at the low end.

Crypto take rate trajectory — January running ~5bps below Q4; watch whether this stabilizes or compresses further if active-trader mix persists.

Prediction markets non-sports revenue mix disclosure — management cited "thousands" of non-sports contracts qualitatively. A concrete sports-vs-non-sports revenue split in Q1 would convert the diversification narrative from claim to evidence.

Sources

  1. Robinhood Financial LLC Q4 2025 Rule 606(a) NMS order routing public report (SEC filing): https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1783879/000178387926000007/a165998_606xnmsx2025xq4x.htm
  2. Robinhood Markets Q4 FY2025 earnings call — management prepared remarks and analyst Q&A (Vlad Tenev, Shiv Verma, Chris Cagle)

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