Robinhood Reportedly Testing Feature to Protect Crypto Investors From Volatility

The feature was discovered in the code for a beta test version of Robinhood’s iPhone app.

AccessTimeIconJul 27, 2021 at 8:59 p.m. UTC
Updated Sep 14, 2021 at 1:31 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Zero-fee trading platform Robinhood is working on a new feature that will help protect users from crypto price volatility, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Bloomberg’s report, which was based on iOS developer Steve Moser’s analysis of new code contained in a beta test version of the Robinhood iPhone app, claims Robinhood is developing a new feature called “price volatility protection,” which is aimed at reducing the impact of crypto price volatility on users. According to the report, the code contains a message that reads: “To protect your orders against price volatility, we may sometimes skip your recurring orders or buy less than your chosen amount.”

A Robinhood spokeswoman declined to explain or comment on the potential new feature.

Robinhood is also testing an option called “round up investments” that will allow users to purchase specific stocks with “spare change.” Whether this money will come from rounded-up debit and credit card purchases as done by competitors like Acorn is unclear.

Robinhood, which is going public this week, struggled with partial outages during the dogecoin spike in May, leading to criticism and a loss of confidence from its user base as well as regulators. 

Crypto has become an increasingly important part of Robinhood’s business model, with approximately 17% of its Q1 revenue coming from crypto transactions, up from 3% in Q1 of last year.

In a virtual roadshow for investors last week, Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said that expanding and improving the company’s crypto offerings and the app’s security, for which Robinhood was recently fined, is a priority. 

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.