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Is Robinhood's Dominance at Stake as GLXY Enters Retail Investing?

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Key Takeaways

  • Galaxy Digital's GalaxyOne blends crypto and stock trading with yields surpassing Robinhood's 3.75%.
  • Higher APYs and institutional-grade features could draw affluent investors away from HOOD's platform.
  • Intensifying competition may weigh on HOOD's transaction-based revenues and force premium upgrades.

Robinhood Markets, Inc. (HOOD - Free Report) , a go-to platform for commission-free trading in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and cryptocurrencies, will likely face a new challenger soon. Galaxy Digital (GLXY - Free Report) , a firm traditionally focused on institutional crypto services, has launched GalaxyOne, a retail investing app that combines crypto trading, stock and ETF access, and high-yield cash accounts.

With features like 8% annualized percentage yield (APY) for accredited investors and 4% APY through GalaxyOne Cash as Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC)-insured returns for all users, GalaxyOne positions itself as a more premium, curated alternative to Robinhood’s broad retail offering.

While Robinhood attracts the mass market with features like fractional investing and extensive crypto options, GalaxyOne’s higher yields and institutional-grade positioning could appeal to wealthier investors and those seeking stability over speculation.

GalaxyOne’s entry underscores a shift toward more sophisticated retail investing platforms that integrate crypto and traditional finance. As competition intensifies, Robinhood is likely to face pressure to increase its yield offerings, which currently stand at 3.75%, and introduce premium services to retain users.

This intensifying competition could hamper Robinhood’s transaction-based revenues if clients migrate to the GalaxyOne app. HOOD’s transaction-based revenues witnessed a compound annual growth rate of 36.7% over the last five years ended 2024, primarily driven by options and equities trading. The uptrend continued in the first six months of 2025, with support from crypto trading also.

How are HOOD’s Other Competitors Expanding?

Similar to Galaxy Digital, Interactive Brokers (IBKR - Free Report) and Charles Schwab (SCHW - Free Report) have been expanding their product base to strengthen their market share.

In August, Interactive Brokers introduced Connections to help investors discover trading opportunities and evaluate investments by highlighting related ideas across global markets. Also, it expanded its Forecast Contracts into Europe. This gives investors across the globe more ways to act on their views and manage risk through Interactive Brokers’ comprehensive platform.

Last month, Schwab announced its plans to open 16 new branches, expand or relocate 25 existing ones and hire more than 400 branch-related roles across the United States. Schwab’s expansion is focused on markets with rising wealth and population growth. Also, it plans to launch spot cryptocurrency trading services by next year, and already allows its clients to trade spot Bitcoin ETFs.

Robinhood’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimate Analysis

Investors are bullish on HOOD stock, which has surged 287.2% this year. In comparison, the industry has rallied 28.7%.

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Given the impressive price performance, HOOD shares are currently trading at a massive premium to the industry. The company has a 12-month trailing price-to-tangible book (P/TB) of 17.49X compared with the industry average of 3.02X.

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Robinhood’s 2025 and 2026 earnings implies year-over-year growth of 58.7% and 15.3%, respectively. In the past week, earnings estimates for 2025 and 2026 have been revised 7.5% and 4.7% upward, respectively.

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

HOOD currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

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