Robinhood Markets (HOOD) perpetual market

Robinhood Markets is the financial technology company that popularized commission-free stock trading and helped bring a new generation of retail investors into the markets. Founded in 2013 by Vlad Tenev and Baiju Bhatt, its mobile app made buying stocks, options and cryptocurrencies simple and free of upfront commissions, earning money instead through practices such as payment for order flow, interest and premium subscriptions. Robinhood became a cultural phenomenon during the 2021 meme-stock frenzy, when it was at the center of the frenzied trading in GameStop and other names, an episode that brought both explosive user growth and intense scrutiny after it temporarily restricted trading. Since going public in 2021, it has broadened into retirement accounts, crypto services, a debit card and expansion abroad. Its results are closely tied to retail trading activity and market sentiment, making Robinhood a barometer of individual investor enthusiasm.