Robinhood stock jumps on AI crypto tools and global expansion plans

Robinhood HOOD shares surged 8% on Wednesday after the online brokerage unveiled a series of new products and international expansion initiatives aimed at broadening its presence in cryptocurrency trading and global financial services.

The announcements, made during a live event in London, included new AI-powered cryptocurrency trading capabilities for US customers, expanded perpetual futures trading in Europe, and progress toward entering new markets including Canada, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

Johann Kerbrat, general manager of crypto and international at Robinhood, said the initiatives are designed to bring more investment products to customers outside the United States.

"We want to extend this vision to the rest of the world," Kerbrat tells Barron's.

Robinhood expands AI and crypto offerings

In the United States, Robinhood introduced agentic cryptocurrency trading at no additional cost.

The new feature allows customers to connect their own AI agents to Robinhood so those agents can execute cryptocurrency trades on their behalf.

The launch builds on the company's rollout of agentic trading for stocks and options introduced last month.

Robinhood also announced Robinhood Earn for eligible US customers, a lending service that enables users to lend the US dollar-pegged stablecoin USDG through a self-custody wallet.

The company said the lending infrastructure is powered by the decentralized lending network Morpho.

The brokerage also expanded its blockchain strategy by launching the main network for Robinhood Chain, which is designed to support real-world assets.

Additionally, Robinhood introduced tokenized stocks that eligible customers can trade around the clock on Robinhood Chain.

The company noted that stock tokens are not available in the United States or to US customers.

International expansion gathers pace

Robinhood continued its international expansion with several announcements focused on Europe and Asia.

In the European Union, the company expanded its range of perpetual futures contracts, allowing eligible customers to trade contracts linked to commodities, selected currencies, and exchange-traded funds, including gold, silver, and Invesco's Nasdaq-100 tracking QQQ ETF.

Unlike traditional futures contracts, perpetual futures do not expire, allowing investors to maintain positions for longer periods.

Robinhood also announced that it had received a capital markets services licence in Singapore, bringing it closer to launching brokerage services in the country.

In Canada, the company is expanding its cryptocurrency offering following its acquisition of digital asset platform WonderFi. Robinhood said Canadian customers will receive zero crypto trading fees through Sept. 30.

The company also revealed plans to launch cryptocurrency services in the United Kingdom.

"We're very excited about that because only brokerage products have been available up until today," Kerbrat said.

Analysts remain optimistic on growth

Robinhood's latest product launches add to a broader strategy of expanding beyond its traditional brokerage business.

According to a Zacks report, the company was the top-performing finance stock during the second quarter of 2026, supported by stronger retail trading activity and continued growth across equities, options, cryptocurrencies, and prediction markets.

The report also highlighted Robinhood's efforts to diversify its business through AI-powered trading, wealth management, prediction markets, and payment products, creating additional opportunities for revenue growth.

Analyst sentiment remains positive.

According to Zacks, consensus earnings estimates for 2026 and 2027 have increased to $1.81 and $2.45 per share, respectively.

While earnings are expected to decline 11.7% this year, forecasts call for growth of 35.2% in 2027.

TipRanks data also reflects a favorable outlook, with 16 of 19 analysts rating Robinhood shares a Buy, while the remaining three recommend Hold, underscoring continued confidence in the company's long-term expansion strategy.