Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev on Fintech, Regulation, and Markets
Vlad Tenev, co-founder and CEO of Robinhood, continues to lead the commission-free trading platform through a new growth phase in 2025. In 2024, Robinhood reported record user engagement with over 25 million monthly active users and $105 billion in assets under custody. Tenev led the launch of Robinhood Gold Retirement accounts, crypto staking features, and the rollout of international equity trading in the EU and UK. Robinhood also acquired a small AI-based portfolio optimizer startup to enhance user experience.
Tenev, a Bulgarian-American and Stanford graduate in mathematics, co-founded Robinhood in 2013 with Baiju Bhatt. The platform disrupted Wall Street by eliminating trading fees and democratizing access to stocks and crypto for retail investors. Despite public criticism during the GameStop short squeeze saga in 2021, Tenev has since focused on rebuilding trust, improving transparency, and expanding product offerings. His leadership continues to shape the interface between tech, finance, and regulatory innovation.