Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev on AI, Crypto, and Market Policies

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev is pro-artificial intelligence (AI), cryptocurrency, and supports the policies of the Trump administration. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, he shared his vision for a market with regulatory shifts, a pro-crypto U.S. president, and how AI shapes the future of stock markets.

On U.S. President Donald Trump’s market impact, Tenev believes the administration can create an environment where AI and crypto coexist and thrive. He anticipates clearer regulations and collaboration with the private sector to maintain U.S. leadership in these industries.

> “They’ve got smart people thinking through these problems,” he stated, emphasizing that reducing bureaucracy and clarifying rules could foster business innovation and expansion.

Do Crypto and Stocks Need a Merged Market?

While some analysts see crypto as a separate asset class, 38-year-old Tenev considers it a technology that complements traditional financial markets.

> “I like to think about crypto less as a distinct, tradable asset and more as a new technology… If you’ve got a tradable token on all blockchains… that’s essentially an IPO,” he explained.

Under Tenev’s direction, Robinhood entered prediction markets, allowing users to bet on events like elections, similar to the decentralized betting marketplace Polymarket. He clarifies that the platform’s market is not gambling since the odds are determined by a regulated exchange, enabling better price discovery, much like assessments in stock markets today.

AI’s Role in the Financial Industry

In 2023, Tenev partnered with programmer Tudor Achim to establish Harmonic, an AI startup that focuses on advanced mathematical reasoning. Tenev asserts that breakthroughs in AI-driven mathematics can benefit fields like physics, biology, and chemistry, leading to significant advancements in energy generation and longevity.

> “If you become superhuman at math, you essentially become superhuman across any quantitative science domain…” he noted.

Concluding the interview, Tenev remarked that AI’s presence in financial markets is undeniable.

> “A lot of the AI investment interest is concentrated on Nvidia. It’s become the No. 1-held stock on Robinhood, surpassing Tesla, another AI stock in its own right. If control over the technology is going to be centralized, then you have to be an investor.”

Robinhood’s Crypto Activity Following Market Trends

In other news, Robinhood’s shares rose about 7% in pre-market trading on Thursday, accumulating a 130.57% increase over the past year after Deutsche Bank identified the stock’s selloff as a good buying opportunity, noting strong trading volumes in equities and options and increased customer deposits.

However, the current decline in the crypto market has affected its trading volumes. A recent press release indicated that Robinhood recorded $14.4 billion in crypto transactions in February, a 29% drop from January. In contrast, equities and options trading experienced only a minor decline of 1%.

Nonetheless, Robinhood’s crypto trading volume has doubled compared to the previous year, and its overall assets under custody (AUC) were $187 billion at the end of last month, an 8% dip from January but a 58% year-over-year increase. Net deposits hit $4.8 billion for the period, reflecting an annualized growth rate of 28%.

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