Robinhood Adds AI Trading Agents, Crypto Perps and Weekends

At its HOOD Summit in Houston, Robinhood announced AI agents that can research markets and execute trades, crypto perpetual futures with up to 10x leverage on Bitcoin and Ether, and weekend trading in select U.S. stocks and ETFs. The brokerage is also extending options hours, adding intraday margin and introducing earnings contracts.

Why it matters

The moves target active traders who increasingly expect access to markets beyond standard stock-market hours. Robinhood plans to offer weekend stock and ETF trading through Bruce ATS, filling a gap in its 24 Hour Market, which launched in 2023 but does not operate on weekends. Exchanges including the NYSE and Nasdaq have also filed to expand trading hours.

AI agents add a new layer: customers can select a model from OpenAI or Anthropic, give it access to a separate account, and use it to research or trade stocks, options and crypto. A planned feature called Loops will let users set standing instructions for an agent to monitor markets and act when specified conditions arise. Robinhood says more than 150,000 agentic accounts have been created since it opened its trading infrastructure to outside AI agents.

Market impact

The agent's trades will require customer approval by default, though users can turn that protection off. At launch, agents cannot borrow on margin and can only access funds in their dedicated account. The controls matter because the tools can execute trades, not just produce research.

Perpetual futures bring another source of risk. Eligible U.S. customers will access the crypto contracts through Robinhood Derivatives and Bitstamp, with leverage up to 10x for Bitcoin and Ether and up to 3x for other supported assets. Leverage can magnify losses and trigger liquidation after a relatively small move against a position. Together, the launches show Robinhood competing to keep active retail traders inside one platform across stocks, crypto and derivatives, with longer hours and more automation.