Robinhood made waves when it launched crypto trading in 2018 by offering crypto trading with zero fees. That’s still its biggest draw today. If you’re new to digital assets and already use Robinhood for stocks, it’s tempting to just add crypto to your existing app. But is it the right move? Let’s cut through the hype and see what Robinhood really offers for crypto traders in 2025.

What You Get: Simple, Clean, and Limited

Robinhood isn’t a crypto exchange like Coinbase or Kraken. It’s a stock broker that added crypto as a feature. That shapes everything. You can buy and sell 15 to 22 cryptocurrencies - Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Solana, and a few others - with no commissions, no markups, and no hidden fees. Trade minimums are as low as $0.01. That’s rare. Most exchanges charge a spread or minimum trade size of $1 or $5.

The interface feels familiar if you’ve traded stocks on Robinhood. The same search bar, same portfolio view, same one-click trade button. You see your crypto holdings alongside your Apple shares and ETFs. No need to juggle apps. That’s a huge win for casual investors who want one place to track everything.

Robinhood also lets you send crypto to an external wallet. That’s unusual for a broker. Most, like Webull or SoFi, lock your crypto inside their system. Robinhood gives you the option to move it out - though they don’t make it easy to find the option in the app.

What You Don’t Get: The Real Deal

Here’s where Robinhood falls short - and why serious crypto users avoid it.

No crypto-to-crypto trading. You can’t swap Ethereum for Solana directly. You have to sell ETH for USD, then buy SOL with that cash. That means two trades, two settlement periods, and more time exposed to price swings. On a real exchange like Binance or Coinbase, you’d do it in one click.

No staking. If you hold Ethereum, Cardano, or Polkadot, you can’t earn passive income by locking up your coins. That’s a major missed opportunity. Staking rewards can add 3% to 8% annual returns. Robinhood doesn’t offer it.

No advanced orders. No limit orders beyond basic buy/sell. No stop-loss, no trailing stops, no OCO (one-cancels-the-other) orders. You can’t set a price target to automatically sell if Bitcoin hits $70,000. You have to watch the screen and click manually. That’s fine for weekend traders, but useless for anyone serious about timing the market.

No charting tools. The charts are basic. No indicators like RSI, MACD, or Bollinger Bands. No volume profiles. No multi-timeframe views. If you rely on technical analysis, you’ll be stuck using TradingView or another platform just to make decisions.

No customer support for crypto issues. Robinhood offers 24/7 phone support, but most users report that reps can’t help with crypto-specific problems - like delayed deposits, wallet errors, or transaction failures. You’re often sent to a help article or told to wait 3-5 business days.

How It Compares to the Competition

Let’s be clear: Robinhood doesn’t compete with Coinbase or Kraken. It competes with Webull and SoFi - brokers that added crypto to attract younger users.

Here’s how Robinhood stacks up against the big players in key areas:

Here’s something surprising: for small trades, Robinhood sometimes gives you a better price than Coinbase. In August 2025, a $100 Ethereum purchase on Robinhood delivered 0.002290 ETH. Coinbase gave 0.002246 ETH - nearly 2% less. Kraken was slightly better than Coinbase but still worse than Robinhood. That’s because Robinhood doesn’t add a spread - it routes orders to liquidity providers. But this edge disappears on larger trades or during volatile markets.

Who Should Use Robinhood for Crypto?

Robinhood is perfect for three types of people:

1. Beginners who want to dip their toes in. If you’ve never owned crypto and just want to buy $10 of Bitcoin to see how it works, Robinhood is the easiest way.
2. Existing Robinhood stock users. If you already have a Robinhood account, adding crypto means one app, one login, one portfolio. No need to learn a new platform.
3. Casual investors who don’t care about advanced features. If you buy and hold, don’t trade often, and just want to own a little Bitcoin or Ethereum - Robinhood does the job.

It’s not for you if:

• You want to trade multiple cryptos back and forth.
• You want to earn interest on your holdings.
• You use technical analysis or set automated trades.
• You need fast, knowledgeable customer support.

The Hidden Costs: Time and Opportunity

Robinhood’s zero fees sound great - until you realize what you’re paying in other ways.

Because you can’t trade crypto-to-crypto, you’re forced to convert to USD every time you want to switch coins. That means you’re exposed to USD price swings twice: once when selling, once when buying. On a volatile day, that can cost you more than a 1% fee.

You also miss out on staking. If you hold 1 ETH and could earn 4% annually, that’s $100 a year on a $2,500 position. Robinhood doesn’t give you that. That’s a real opportunity cost.

And while Robinhood lets you withdraw crypto, the process is clunky. You have to navigate to a separate section, enter a wallet address, and wait 1-3 days. On Coinbase, it’s a 30-second tap.

Security and Regulation

Robinhood is regulated by the SEC and FINRA - the same bodies that oversee stock brokers. That means your funds are protected up to $500,000 under SIPC insurance - including $250,000 for cash. That’s more protection than most crypto-only exchanges offer.

But Robinhood has had security issues. In 2021, a social engineering attack let hackers take over user accounts. In 2023, the SEC fined them $65 million for misleading customers about order routing. They’ve improved since then, but trust is still fragile.

Your crypto is held in cold storage - good. But you don’t control the private keys. That means you’re trusting Robinhood to keep it safe. If they get hacked or go bankrupt, you’re not guaranteed to get your coins back. That’s different from self-custody wallets like Ledger or MetaMask.

Future Outlook: Will Robinhood Get Better?

Robinhood’s crypto volume jumped 400% in Q4 2024. That’s not because they added features - it’s because more people are using the app. They’re expanding into the EU and planning a launch in Asia by late 2025. That tells you they’re betting big on crypto.

But they’re moving slowly. They’ve added only a handful of new coins since 2022. No staking. No advanced trading. No API access. Their focus is clearly on keeping things simple for the masses, not attracting power users.

If you’re a beginner, that’s fine. If you’re serious about crypto, you’ll outgrow them fast.

Final Verdict

Robinhood is the best crypto platform for people who want to buy Bitcoin or Ethereum with zero fees and already use Robinhood for stocks. It’s simple, clean, and safe - for a broker.

It’s the worst crypto platform for anyone who wants to trade, earn rewards, or use advanced tools. You’re trading convenience for control.

Use Robinhood to get started. But if you plan to hold crypto long-term or trade actively, move your assets to a real exchange like Coinbase or Kraken. Don’t let the zero fees fool you. The real cost is what you can’t do.