Vlad Tenev is the co-founder and CEO of Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD), which transformed financial services by introducing commission-free stock trading and democratizing access to the markets for millions of investors. As of Q3 2025, the company is doing $1.27 billion in revenue with 11 business lines each doing roughly $100 million.
We discuss the evolution of online brokerage platforms from Schwab to E-Trade to now Robinhood. Vlad delves into the launch of Robinhood, the impact of the global financial crisis, and how mobile and high-frequency trading have transformed finance. The conversation explores the rise and success of prediction markets, the importance of engaging younger generations, and how AI is enhancing the future of trading.
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Intro
(00:27) History of online brokers
(4:15) The rise of Robinhood
(9:15) Changing sentiment among generations
(14:18) Incentive alignment with customers
(18:47) The emergence of prediction markets
(25:50) Economic value vs entertainment
(28:26) Growing degree of risk taking
(35:21) Tokenization and private markets
(39:33) The impact of AI on Robinhood
(43:35) What excites Vlad about AI
(46:59) Reflections on being a founder
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More on Vlad:
https://robinhood.com/us/en/
https://x.com/vladtenev
More on Jack:
https://www.altcap.com/
https://x.com/jaltma
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