Robinhood, the online brokerage best known for retail trading, is launching a built-in social network aimed at investors and traders. The move marks a shift from pure trading to a broader “financial superapp” strategy.
What’s new
Robinhood has announced a feature called “Robinhood Social” — a platform where users can share their trades in real time, follow other traders, and discuss market strategies.
This social layer will initially be invite-only when it rolls out next year, with plans to gradually expand access over time.
Unlike general social networks, the content on Robinhood Social is intended to center on market activity and investment commentary.
The platform will even let users see avatars that reflect the trading behavior of well-known figures, like politicians and tech CEOs.
Robinhood’s CEO, Vlad Tenev, described the platform as evidence that Robinhood has grown beyond a simple trading interface into a central hub for financial interaction.
Why this matters
Robinhood’s push into social engagement is clearly aimed at communities like Reddit’s r/WallStreetBets, which have historically played a big role in meme stock trading and retail investor coordination. By building a network directly into its app, Robinhood hopes to capture that energy — and potentially broaden its 26.5 million-user base by combining trading and social interaction into one place.
However, concentrating social conversation within a trading app also carries risks, including potential “retail trading chaos” if users influence each other’s decisions without broader context or safeguards — a concern highlighted by industry observers.
