Cathie Wood Loads Up on Robinhood (HOOD) Stock During 9% Crash

TLDR

• Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest bought $33.8 million in Robinhood shares after the stock dropped 9% on Q4 earnings miss
• Robinhood now represents ARK’s largest crypto holding at $248 million, a 4.1% portfolio weighting
• CEO Vlad Tenev predicts prediction markets will enter a “supercycle” with trillions in annual volume potential
• The company launched Robinhood Chain testnet, a Layer 2 blockchain for tokenized assets
• Bitcoin ETFs saw $276 million in outflows Wednesday as crypto trading volumes declined

Cathie Wood made a bold move Wednesday, buying the dip on Robinhood shares while most investors headed for the exits. ARK Invest purchased $33.8 million worth of stock as shares plunged nearly 9% following a disappointing Q4 earnings report.

Robinhood Markets, Inc., HOOD

The buying spree wasn’t limited to Robinhood. ARK also added $16 million in other crypto-related stocks including Bullish and Circle as the broader digital asset market sold off.

Robinhood missed revenue estimates in Q4 as cryptocurrency trading volumes collapsed during Bitcoin’s recent weakness. The digital currency briefly dropped below $66,000, triggering a wave of selling across crypto-linked equities.

But Wood saw opportunity where others saw risk. The purchases pushed Robinhood to become ARK’s largest crypto-related position, with total holdings now worth approximately $248 million.

Blockchain Infrastructure Play

The timing coincided with Robinhood’s testnet launch of Robinhood Chain. This Layer 2 blockchain targets tokenized real-world assets and institutional financial services.

ARK appears to be betting on Robinhood’s transformation from a retail trading platform into a blockchain infrastructure provider. The quarterly earnings miss seems less important than the long-term strategic positioning.

Bitcoin ETFs recorded $276.3 million in net outflows Wednesday, nearly erasing weekly gains. Total assets under management dropped to $85.7 billion, the lowest level since late 2024.

While Bitcoin has stabilized around $67,200, institutional appetite remains muted. Many large investors are waiting for clearer market direction before deploying capital.

Prediction Markets Opportunity

The data supports his optimism. Prediction markets volume more than doubled in Q4, reaching $12 billion in total contracts for 2025. The company has already processed $4 billion in 2026.

Robinhood is building its own prediction market platform through a joint venture with Susquehanna International Group. The move would give the company greater control over product offerings and potentially stronger margins.

Launch is expected later this year. The platform will compete with Kalshi and Polymarket in a rapidly expanding market.

Tenev told CNBC he remains bullish on crypto despite recent volatility. The company plans to continue expanding both digital asset offerings and prediction markets.

More details are expected at Robinhood’s “Take Flight” event on March 4. Tenev is scheduled to unveil new products and strategic initiatives.

Wall Street maintains a Strong Buy rating on the stock. Analysts have issued 14 Buy ratings, three Holds, and zero Sells over the past three months. The average price target of $135.79 suggests 56.9% upside potential.

Shares have declined nearly one-third year-to-date following Wednesday’s selloff.

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