Robinhood Launches Social Trading Feature in Beta Test

Robinhood has begun a limited beta rollout of a new social trading feature called Robinhood Social. The feature allows users to follow other traders, view their activity, and discuss market ideas directly within the platform. In a blog post, the company stated customers can follow traders, swap strategies, and discuss market moves, with all profiles verified through KYC processes. The initial test involves 1,000 users, with plans to expand to 10,000 soon and a broader release expected later this year.

The cautious rollout reflects regulatory uncertainty in the United States, where sharing trades could be interpreted as providing investment advice. Unlike European platforms like eToro that offer automated copy trading, Robinhood's feature requires manual trade replication to avoid being classified as an advisory service. This design reduces regulatory risk but makes the feature less seamless than its European counterparts.

Robinhood is also addressing risks of market manipulation by restricting access to verified users and framing the feature around discussion rather than promotion. By housing the feature within its own ecosystem, the platform can monitor activity more closely than on open networks. The company's staged approach indicates social trading in the U.S. will develop incrementally, shaped by legal interpretation as much as user demand. "This is an important early milestone, but it's just the beginning," said Abhishek Fatehpuria, VP of Product Management at Robinhood.