Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood has snapped up $21.3 million in Robinhood shares, sending the stock up 6%.
Summary
- Ark purchased 131,049 shares of Robinhood through ARKK and 36,440 shares through ARKW, making the stock nearly 19% of both ETFs’ holdings.
- The move follows Ark’s recent crypto-focused initiatives, including filings for Bitcoin ETFs and continued exposure to Coinbase, Bullish, and BitMine, with Coinbase remaining the largest crypto-related holding.
Ark Invest boosts Robinhood stake as platform expands crypto footprint
Robinhood shares jumped 5.6% in Wednesday’s trading, and are up further in pre-market following Ark Invest’s recent purchase of the company’s stock across two flagship ETFs.
According to Ark Invest’s daily trade disclosure on October 22, the firm purchased $21.3 million worth of HOOD shares across two of its flagship ETFs. The Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK) acquired 131,049 shares, while the Ark Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW) added 36,440 shares, making Robinhood nearly 19% of both funds’ holdings.
The bet comes as Robinhood, originally a retail-trading platform, is expanding aggressively into crypto. In 2025, the company acquired WonderFi to strengthen its Canadian footprint and Bitstamp to gain global licensing and access to institutional order books. It’s also developing a Layer-2 blockchain on Arbitrum (ARB) and recently added BNB trading.
The Robinhood stock purchase comes on the heels of Ark Invest’s two other recent crypto-related initiatives, namely filings for new Bitcoin ETFs—the Bitcoin Yield ETF and ARK DIET Bitcoin 1 and 2 ETFs—designed to offer yield and downside protection for institutional investors.
Beyond those ETF filings and the latest Robinhood investment, Ark Invest has steadily increased exposure to crypto-adjacent companies including Coinbase, Bullish, and BitMine. Among these, Coinbase remains Ark’s largest crypto-related position.
