Robinhood Rolls Out Futures Trading for BTC, Oil, and S&P 500

On January 29, online brokerage Robinhood announced the launch of futures trading for key assets, including S&P 500, oil, and Bitcoin. The news was officially published on Robinhood’s website and X account.

“Futures trading with our new intuitive trading ladder is coming soon to Robinhood,” the company shared on X.

According to Robinhood, in addition to Bitcoin, oil, and gold, users will be able to trade futures contracts on the S&P 500, U.S. dollar, and euro. This information has been officially published on the broker’s website.

Originally focused on stock trading, Robinhood entered the crypto market in 2018. Now, the platform is expanding even further by introducing Bitcoin futures, with plans to add Ethereum-based contracts in the near future.

Since 2024, Robinhood has been actively diversifying its trading products. In October, the company launched prediction contracts tied to the U.S. presidential election, similar to the betting markets on Polymarket.

Related: Polymarket: The Cryptocurrency Prediction Platform

In early January, Robinhood made headlines by listing Donald Trump’s official memecoin. Following Trump’s victory in the November 2024 election, the platform also added Solana (SOL), Ripple (XRP), and Pepe (PEPE) to its list of supported assets.

Robinhood Isn’t the Only Player in the Futures Market

Other major online brokers are also exploring cryptocurrency futures. According to The Information, Morgan Stanley is considering launching digital asset trading on its E-Trade platform.

Meanwhile, interest in Bitcoin futures continues to soar. Data from Coinglass shows that as of January 29, 2025, BTC futures open interest has reached nearly $65 billion—a significant indicator of growing institutional demand.

BTC Futures Open Interest (USD).  Source: coinglass.com

ALT: Coinglass BTC Futures Open Interest Chart — The Coinomist

This puts Robinhood in direct competition with major industry players, including CME Group, the largest futures exchange in the U.S., and Coinbase Derivatives Exchange, which already offers futures contracts for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Dogecoin.

On January 29, Blockworks co-founder Mike Ippolito shared on X that Robinhood’s entry into Bitcoin futures reinforces his earlier prediction: by the end of 2025, the company could emerge as a major competitor to Coinbase in crypto trading.

Futures contracts are standardized agreements to buy or sell an asset at a set price on a future date. They are widely used by institutional investors for hedging risk and by traders looking to leverage positions for potential higher returns.