In this episode of FYI, ARK CEO Cathie Wood and Analyst Nick Grous sit down with Vlad Tenev, Co-Founder and CEO of Robinhood. Together they explore how Robinhood is redefining retail investing and financial services—from expanding access to private markets and tokenized assets to transforming its product ecosystem into a fintech super app.Vlad discusses Robinhood’s long-term vision at the intersection of capitalism and democracy, why retail ownership matters more in the age of AI, and how the company is building around the upcoming $124 trillion generational wealth transfer. He also shares the strategic thinking behind Robinhood's expansion into credit, crypto, and international markets, including the development of its own blockchain and stablecoin.Finally, they explore the role of AI in Robinhood’s platform evolution, including the launch of Cortex, and the guiding philosophy behind the company’s product velocity and value-driven subscription model.Key Points From This Episode:00:00:00 Introduction00:11:10 Cathie and Vlad discuss how navigating the bear market made Robinhood and ARK stronger.00:13:25 Vlad outlines Robinhood’s mission and long-term opportunity to empower retail through ownership.00:17:28 ARK’s and Robinhood’s shared focus on expanding retail access to private markets through innovation and regulation.00:20:45 Why treating retail investors as a first-class constituency is an underutilized advantage for public companies.00:23:32 How Robinhood’s product velocity and innovation position it to capture assets during the $124T generational wealth shift.00:24:34 Designing features that work across extended families and using AI to eliminate frictions in moving assets between institutions.00:29:24 How the company decides when to partner, build in-house, or acquire based on speed, capability gaps, and strategic alignment.00:33:16 Vlad explains how Robinhood adapted its crypto strategy across regulatory cycles, culminating in its European tokenization launch.00:39:42 The internal "aha moment" that led to Robinhood’s push into tokenizing real-world assets—from equities to real estate.00:43:44 The tradeoff between adopting existing chains and owning the full product experience via Robinhood Chain.00:45:38 How Robinhood sees the stablecoin market evolving—especially in terms of yield, utility, and international access.00:52:40 Breaking down Robinhood’s growing credit product suite and the reasoning behind its Sage Home Loans partnership model.00:58:41 How Robinhood is using AI to simplify investing and help users understand market movements and options strategies.01:02:13 The extent to which Robinhood is using fine-tuned AI models across internal operations, especially customer service.01:04:49 Why the traditional view that retail investors aren’t “ready” for private markets no longer applies in the internet era.01:07:41 Vlad shares how the company is thinking about retention vs. pricing as Gold adoption scales.01:10:16 Cathie and Vlad reflect on the shared mission to educate investors and broaden access to financial innovation.
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1:15:31
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1:15:31
Prediction Markets Are Revolutionizing Sports Betting | The Brainstorm EP 99
In this episode of the Brainstorm, Sam Korus and Nicholas Grous dive into the intriguing world of prediction markets, focusing on the recent partnership between Robinhood and Kalshi. They explore how this collaboration is reshaping access to sports betting across the U.S., especially in states where traditional sports betting remains illegal. The discussion also touches on the broader implications for the industry, including the competitive landscape with major players like DraftKings and FanDuel.If you know ARK, then you probably know about our long-term research projections, like estimating where we will be 5-10 years from now! But just because we are long-term investors, doesn’t mean we don’t have strong views and opinions on breaking news. In fact, we discuss and debate this every day. So now we’re sharing some of these internal discussions with you in our new video series, “The Brainstorm”, a co-production from ARK and Public.com. Tune in every week as we react to the latest in innovation. Here and there we’ll be joined by special guests, but ultimately this is our chance to join the conversation and share ARK’s quick takes on what’s going on in tech today.Key Points From This Episode:Robinhood and Kalshi's partnership is expanding access to prediction markets, allowing users to bet on sports outcomes through the Robinhood app, even in states where traditional sports betting is illegal.Prediction markets offer a unique fee structure, with Robinhood charging a flat two-cent fee per contract, making it an attractive option compared to traditional sportsbooks.The collaboration between Robinhood and Kalshi highlights a significant shift in the sports betting landscape, posing potential challenges and opportunities for established players like DraftKings and FanDuel.For more updates on Public.com:Website: https://public.com/YouTube: @publicinvestX: https://twitter.com/public
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20:19
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20:19
A $34.5 Billion Browser? | The Brainstorm EP 98
In this episode of the Brainstorm, Sam, Nick, and ARK Chief Futurist, Brett Winton, explore whether browsers are worth billions and the implications of launching L1 blockchains with stable coins. From the strategic importance of browsers in the AI arms race to the potential future of financial systems, this episode is packed with insights and debates.If you know ARK, then you probably know about our long-term research projections, like estimating where we will be 5-10 years from now! But just because we are long-term investors, doesn’t mean we don’t have strong views and opinions on breaking news. In fact, we discuss and debate this every day. So now we’re sharing some of these internal discussions with you in our new video series, “The Brainstorm”, a co-production from ARK and Public.com. Tune in every week as we react to the latest in innovation. Here and there we’ll be joined by special guests, but ultimately this is our chance to join the conversation and share ARK’s quick takes on what’s going on in tech today.Key Points From This Episode:A discussion around the potential worth of browsers, questioning if they are truly worth billions and exploring the strategic importance of browsers in the AI arms race.The conversation delves into the launch of L1 blockchains by companies like Circle to support stable coins, examining the implications for financial systems and institutional adoption.A recurring theme is the tension between centralization and decentralization, particularly in the context of stable coins and their role in the financial ecosystem.Source mentioned: https://tomtunguz.com/chrome-valuation-safari-comparison/For more updates on Public.com:Website: https://public.com/YouTube: @publicinvestX: https://twitter.com/public
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45:20
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45:20
GPT-5 | The Brainstorm EP 97
In this episode of the Brainstorm, Sam, Nick, and ARK Chief Futurist, Brett Winton, dive into the world of OpenAI’s latest model, GPT-5, exploring its advancements and the impact on user experience. They discuss the balance between performance and user engagement, the evolving role of AI personalities, and the potential for AI to become an integral part of daily life. Tune in to hear their insights on the future of AI and its implications for both consumers and enterprises.If you know ARK, then you probably know about our long-term research projections, like estimating where we will be 5-10 years from now! But just because we are long-term investors, doesn’t mean we don’t have strong views and opinions on breaking news. In fact, we discuss and debate this every day. So now we’re sharing some of these internal discussions with you in our new video series, “The Brainstorm”, a co-production from ARK and Public.com. Tune in every week as we react to the latest in innovation. Here and there we’ll be joined by special guests, but ultimately this is our chance to join the conversation and share ARK’s quick takes on what’s going on in tech today.Key Points From This Episode:GPT-5 offers a significant improvement in user experience, despite mixed opinions on its performance benchmarks.OpenAI's strategy involves balancing consumer and enterprise needs, with a focus on enhancing AI's practical utility.The emotional connection users form with AI models through personalities is influencing their adoption and usage patterns.For more updates on Public.com:Website: https://public.com/YouTube: @publicinvestX: https://twitter.com/public
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37:48
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37:48
Private Money Rises: Tether, Bitcoin, And The Genius Act
Since inception, ARK has researched and published thoughts on the cryptocurrency ecosystem within Big Ideas and through articles, whitepapers, monthly Bitcoin reports and podcasts. Now, in coordination with Bitcoin Park, ARK is pleased to host a monthly conversation with leaders in the Bitcoin space, to discuss everything happening in the rapidly-changing and still nascent Bitcoin ecosystem. Published through the For Your Innovation podcast channels, this monthly series aims to be informative and enlightening, including experts with diverse viewpoints.Guests on this month’s Bitcoin Brainstorm include:Cathie Wood: Founder, CEO and CIO, ARK InvestLorenzo Valente: Director of Research, Digital Assets, ARK InvestPaolo Ardoino: CEO, TetherDr. Arthur Laffer: American EconomistRod Roudi: Co-Founder, Bitcoin ParkKey Points From This Episode: 00:00:00 Introduction00:01:04 The origin of Bitcoin and stablecoins00:04:22 Understanding Tether (USDT)00:10:33 USDT's global growth amid pandemic shifts00:12:15 Dr. Laffer’s history of private money00:17:32 Understanding the USDT mechanics of issuance, reserves, and redemptions00:23:14 Transparency, audits and regulation00:30:26 Challenges of value stability vs dollar peg00:35:20 Gold-backed solutions and the alloy product00:38:58 The role of stablecoins in developed markets00:44:40 Potential competition00:46:00 Commodity trade and global adoption trends00:51:00 Emerging markets00:53:50 Dollar dominance vs local stablecoins01:08:01 Vision for the future Links Mentioned in this Episode: Learn more about Bitcoin Park: bitcoinpark.com
The FYI - For Your Innovation Podcast offers an intellectual discussion on recent developments across disruptive innovation—driven by research, news, controversies, companies, and technological breakthroughs. Hosted by ARK Invest, ARK and guests provide a unique perspective on how to best understand disruptive innovation.
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