Key Takeaways
Robinhood launched native AI trading agents, OpenAI models, and automated “Loops” strategy execution.Pending regulatory approval, Robinhood will enable weekend equities trading powered by Bruce ATS.Eligible U.S. traders will gain access to crypto perpetual futures with leverage up to 10x.
Robinhood Unveils AI Trading
Robinhood has unveiled a series of major product upgrades, including the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered automated trading directly into its mobile app. The fintech giant also announced plans to launch 24/7 weekend stock trading and perpetual futures for U.S. customers.
The announcements mark the retail brokerage’s aggressive effort to expand its platform for active traders, offering sophisticated features historically restricted to institutional investors and hedge funds.
“Ownership doesn’t work without markets, and markets don’t work without traders,” Robinhood Chief Executive Vlad Tenev told attendees at its annual HOOD Summit. “We’re making Robinhood the best place in the world for active traders by delivering tools once reserved for hedge funds, big banks, and quant firms.”
Leading the company’s product rollout is Robinhood Agents, a feature that integrates AI trading natively into the app. Following a preliminary launch in May that allowed users to connect external third-party software, the new feature lets retail investors build, customize, and deploy AI trading agents directly on their phones using models from developers such as OpenAI.
According to the company, more than 150,000 customers have opened agentic trading accounts since the initial rollout, generating roughly 30 million automated actions daily.
To isolate financial risk, the AI agents operate exclusively within dedicated agentic trading accounts with adjustable safety parameters, including a default manual trade approval requirement. Robinhood also announced “Loops,” an upcoming feature enabling agents to execute standing instructions continuously around the clock.
Weekend Equities Trading
In tandem, Robinhood launched “Agent Apps,” allowing users to equip their AI tools with institutional market data and specialized feeds from third-party analytics providers, including Nasdaq, Spotgamma, Unusual Whales, and Token Terminal.
Robinhood also signaled a shift in traditional equity trading hours by announcing plans to offer 24/7 stock trading, pending regulatory approval. The expansion builds on the Robinhood 24 Hour market launched in 2023, extending access through weekends for a curated selection of equities and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The weekend trading framework will be powered by Bruce ATS, an institutional-grade alternative trading system.
“Breaking news doesn’t wait for an opening bell. With the upcoming launch of weekend trading, we’re making sure our customers won’t have to either,” said Steve Quirk, Robinhood’s chief brokerage officer.
Expanding its derivative offerings, Robinhood announced that eligible U.S. traders will soon be able to trade perpetual futures contracts on major cryptocurrencies offered through Robinhood Derivatives in partnership with Bitstamp. Leverage options will range up to 10x for bitcoin and ethereum.
Ahead of the third-quarter earnings season, the platform is introducing binary earnings contracts via Cboe, allowing users to trade predictions on company-specific financial benchmarks and quarterly metrics.
