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Co-founder and CEO, Robinhood
9 quotes from 2 episodes on No Priors and TBPN, each with a timestamped link to the source.
Vlad Tenev says AI agents give retail traders the automated execution capabilities of institutional hedge funds. Over 150,000 customers already drive 30 million daily tool calls to run deterministic strategies while asleep.
AI gives regular individuals the same algorithmic execution power as sophisticated professional trading firms.
“Can we put the capabilities of a hedge fund or a sophisticated algorithmic trading firm into the pockets of normal individuals.”
The application aims to give retail investors the equivalent of an elite financial trading team.
“…we want to give you the power of a hedge fund in your pocket, an extremely sophisticated team of financial trading professionals.”
Vlad Tenev reported that 150,000 customers opened automated trading accounts within months of launch. System usage follows an exponential adoption curve.
“…over 150,000 customers have opened agentic trading accounts with us in the few months since we've launched it.”
“If you look at the tool calls, the tool calls have just been following this smooth exponential where the last number we announced was something like 30 million tool calls per day.”
Automated orders execute in a segregated container away from a primary balance. This architecture provides default trade approval guardrails across 28 million platform accounts.
“So right now you have to create a new separate account which is segregated from your main Robin Hood balance. You can create an MCP account, you can create an Agentic account, you have to move money in there.”
“Robin Hood agents brings that within Robin Hood with all the benefits like trade approval, separate account, brings it in the Robin Hood experience where we have over 28 million accounts.”
Retail traders run deterministic routines that execute quantitative rules around the clock. These models connect directly to feeds covering satellite imagery, congressional trades, and unusual options activity.
“Now, if you think about what a lot of hedge funds have access to, it's proprietary data, things like unusual options flows, satellite imagery, congressional trading data…”
“…we created agent loops. So you can have your agent run autonomously and predictably in a deterministic way and execute that strategy for you while you sleep.”
“…we're going to be the first ones offering prediction markets on earnings in the US.”
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