Robinhood Reports 2021 Net Loss of $3.69B While Crypto Activity Falters

The platform also reported a $423 million net loss for Q4 or $0.49 per diluted share, compared with a net income of $13 million from the fourth quarter in 2020

article-image

Source: Shutterstock

share

key takeaways

  • The brokerage went for IPO in July 2021 with an opening at a price of $38
  • The stock trading app’s shares fell roughly 15% in after hours trading before recovering slightly

Stock trading platform Robinhood reported a 2021 full-year net loss of $3.69 billion on Thursday.

The platform also reported a $423 million net loss for Q4 or $0.49 per diluted share, compared with a net income of $13 million from the fourth quarter in 2020, according to its latest earnings report.

Robinhood shares (HOOD) fell 15% in after-hours trading to a low of $9.77 before recovering slightly to around $10.12.

While Robinhood reported crypto-based revenue for the quarter had increased 304% to $48 million, compared to $12 million in the fourth quarter of 2020, its revenue from that activity is down $3 million to $48 million from Q3, 2021 earnings of around $51 million.

That’s a far cry from its record posting of $233 million in Q2, 2021 and shows a declining trend for that side of its business to turn a profit. Still, the company’s CEO, Vlad Tenev, was upbeat and pointed to ongoing development.

“We had a momentous year, nearly doubling the number of customers on the platform and making critical investments in our team and infrastructure to support growth,” said Vlad Tenev, CEO and Co-Founder of Robinhood Markets in the report.

Indeed, improvements in trading infrastructure as well as the release of a Beta version of its crypto WenWallets, which went live to select customers last week, may yet prove decisive in squaring off company losses as it heads into its fourth innings as a publicly listed entity.

The brokerage went for IPO in July 2021 with an opening at a price of $38.

The company’s battle to go public was not straightforward. In June 2021, FINRA fined the company $70 million for its systemwide outages and misleading customers. The SEC fined Robinhood $65 million for similar offenses in December 2020.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

  • Blockworks Daily: The newsletter that helps thousands of investors understand crypto and the markets, by Byron Gilliam.
  • Empire: Start your morning with the top news and analysis to inform your day in crypto.
  • Forward Guidance: Reporting and analysis on the growing intersection of crypto and macroeconomics, policy and finance.
  • 0xResearch: Alpha directly in your inbox. Market highlights, data, degen trade ideas, governance updates, token performance and more.
  • Lightspeed: Built for Solana investors, developers and community members. The latest from one of crypto’s hottest networks.
  • The Drop: For crypto collectors and traders, covering apps, games, memes and more.
Tags

Upcoming Events

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research Report Templates (5).png

Research

Outside of stablecoins, the value of tokenized assets sits below $20B, dominated by the following asset classes: private credit, US Treasuries, commodities, institutional alternative funds, stocks, non-US government debt, and corporate bonds. In the coming months, we see the greatest opportunities in the tokenization of illiquid markets, particularly private equity. However, the successful integration of offchain assets into blockchain ecosystems relies heavily on clear and consistent regulatory frameworks, with purpose-built infrastructure to support it.

article-image

Luke Barwikowski took to Twitter to raise awareness about the threats against him and his family

article-image

David Chaum’s ecash in the 90s offers insights into balancing priorities in DeFi today

article-image

The forthcoming stablecoin was praised by BitGo’s Mike Bleshe as an advancement in “institutional-ready digital assets”

article-image

Chronicle’s Niklas Kunkel talked to Blockworks about the raise and why he’s prioritizing research

article-image

Sponsored

DESK isn’t just another trading platform — it’s redefining what’s possible in on-chain trading

article-image

The real strength of tailored AMMs might lie in their capacity to cultivate deeper loyalty and engagement within niche communities