DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

NOTE 1: DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Robinhood Markets, Inc. (“RHM” and, together with its subsidiaries, “Robinhood,” the “Company,” “we,” or “us”) was incorporated in the State of Delaware on November 22, 2013. Our most significant, wholly-owned subsidiaries are:

•Robinhood Financial LLC (“RHF”), a registered introducing broker-dealer;

•Robinhood Securities, LLC (“RHS”), a registered clearing broker-dealer;

•Robinhood Crypto, LLC (“RHC”), which provides users the ability to buy, sell, and transfer cryptocurrencies and is responsible for the custody of user cryptocurrencies held by users on our platform; and

•Robinhood Money, LLC (“RHY”), which offers the Robinhood Cash Card and a Spending Account that help customers invest, save, and earn rewards.

•Robinhood Credit, Inc. (“Robinhood Credit”), which offers a no-fee credit card with rewards on each purchase.

Acting as the agent of the user, we facilitate the purchase and sale of options, cryptocurrencies, and equities through our platform by routing transactions through market makers, who are responsible for trade execution. Upon execution of a trade, users are legally required to purchase options, cryptocurrencies, or equities for cash from the transaction counterparty or to sell options, cryptocurrencies, or equities for cash to the transaction counterparty, depending on the transaction. We facilitate and confirm trades only when there are binding, matched legal obligations from the user and the market maker on both sides of the trade. Our users have ownership of the securities they transact on our platform, including those that collateralize margin loans, and, as a result, such securities are not presented on our consolidated balance sheets, other than user-held fractional shares which are presented gross. Our users also have ownership of the cryptocurrencies they transact on our platform (none of which are allowed to be purchased on margin and which do not serve as collateral for margin loans); however, following our adoption of SAB 121, we recognize a liability to reflect our safeguarding obligation along with a corresponding asset on our balance sheet related to the cryptocurrencies we hold in custody for users.

On August 2, 2021, we closed our IPO of 55.0 million shares of Class A common stock. On August 31, 2021, we sold an additional 4.4 million shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the option granted to the underwriters to purchase additional shares.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of RHM and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year amounts to conform to the current year presentation. The impact of these reclassifications is immaterial to the presentation of the consolidated financials statements taken as a whole.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. We base our estimates on historical experience, and other assumptions we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Assumptions and estimates used in preparing our consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, those related to revenue recognition, SBC, the determination of allowances for credit losses, valuation of user cryptocurrencies safeguarding obligation and corresponding asset, investment valuation, capitalization of internally developed software, useful lives of property, software, and equipment, valuation and useful lives of intangible assets, incremental borrowing rate used to calculate operating lease right-of-use assets and related liabilities, impairment of long-lived assets, uncertain tax positions, income taxes, accrued and contingent liabilities. Actual results could differ from these estimates and could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

Segment Information

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) in deciding how to allocate resources and assess performance. We operate and report financial information in one operating segment as our CODM only reviews consolidated financial information to allocate resources and assess performance. Substantially all of our revenues and assets are attributed to or located in the United States.

In August 2022, we announced a reorganization into a general manager (“GM”) structure under which GMs have assumed broad responsibility for our individual businesses. Immediately after the GM reorganization, we began developing processes and controls to enable us to produce sufficiently precise and timely business level financial information that did not exist within the enterprise resource planning system at the time of the announcement. We continue to work with each GM to review and iterate on their respective discrete financial information while also investing in building the technical capabilities necessary to automate the process of producing the GM level financial information. We continue to improve our reporting of GM level financial information that may eventually be—but is not currently—shared with and used by the CODM to allocate resources and determine performance, which would potentially change the conclusion of one operating segment. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the information provided to the CODM to assess all applicable accounting standards relevant to the determination of our segments.

Revenue Recognition

Transaction-Based Revenues

We primarily earn transaction-based revenues from routing user orders for options, cryptocurrencies, and equities to market makers when the performance obligation is satisfied, which is at the point in time when a routed order is executed by the market maker. The transaction price for options is on a per contract basis, while for equities it is primarily based on the bid-ask spread of the underlying trading activity. For cryptocurrencies, the transaction price is a fixed percentage of the notional order value. For each trade type, all market makers pay the same transaction price. Payments are collected monthly in arrears from each market maker.

Net Interest Revenues

Net interest revenues consist of interest revenues less interest expenses. We earn interest revenues on corporate cash and investments, margin loans to users, segregated cash and cash equivalents, deposits with clearing organizations, Cash Sweep, and carried customer credit card balances. We also earn and incur interest revenues and expenses on securities lending transactions. We incur interest expenses in connection with our revolving credit facilities.

Other Revenues

Other revenues primarily consists of Robinhood Gold subscription fees. Our contract with users are for a term of 30 days and renew automatically each month. Subscription revenue is recognized ratably over the subscription period as the performance obligation is satisfied.

Other revenues also consist of proxy rebates, proxy revenues, and ACATS fees charged to users. Proxy rebates are revenues earned through our partnership with a third-party investor communications company. We provide certain shareholder information to the third-party company, which is used to send investor materials to shareholders, such as materials related to shareholder meetings and voting instruction forms. We earn a share of the revenue the third-party company receives from issuers, and recognize the revenue when the performance obligation of providing data is satisfied. During 2022, we terminated our partnership with the third-party proxy service provider and began using Say Technologies, a wholly-owned subsidiary, to provide proxy and investor communications services. We now earn proxy revenue directly from issuers. Proxy services are made up of two performance obligations, (i) distribution of proxy materials to shareholders and (ii) collection, tallying, and reporting of shareholder response during a voting event. Revenue is recognized at a point in time upon satisfaction of these performance obligations.

ACATS fees are charged to users for facilitating the transfer of part or all of their accounts to another broker-dealer. We recognize revenue when our performance obligation of administering the transfer is satisfied.

Concentrations of Revenue and Credit Risk

Concentrations of Revenue

We derived transaction-based revenues from individual market makers in excess of 10% of total revenues, as follows:

	Year Ended December 31,
	2021		2022		2023
Market maker:
Citadel Securities, LLC	22	%	16	%	12	%
Entities affiliated with Wolverine Holdings, L.P.(1)	10	%	8	%	6	%
Entities affiliated with Susquehanna International Group, LLP(2)	12	%	8	%	2	%
Tai Mo Shan Limited(3)	15	%	3	%	1	%
All others individually less than 10%	18	%	24	%	19	%
Total as percentage of total revenue:	77	%	59	%	40	%

_______________

(1)Consists of Wolverine Execution Services, LLC and Wolverine Securities, LLC.

(2)Consists of Global Execution Brokers, LP and G1 Execution Services, LLC.

(3)Member of Jump Trading Group.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

We are engaged in various trading and brokerage activities in which the counterparties primarily include broker-dealers, banks, and other financial institutions. In the event our counterparties do not fulfill their obligations, we may be exposed to risk. The risk of default depends on the creditworthiness of the counterparty. Default of a counterparty in equities and options trades, which are facilitated through clearinghouses, would generally be spread among the clearinghouse's members rather than falling entirely on us. It is our policy to review, as necessary, the credit standing of each counterparty.

In March 2023, certain U.S. banks failed and were taken over by the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). Our exposure to impacted U.S. banks was immaterial. However, we took steps to help ensure that the loss of all or a significant portion of any uninsured amount would not have had an adverse effect on our ability to pay our operational expenses or make other payments.

Operating Expenses

Brokerage and Transaction

Brokerage and transaction costs primarily consist of broker-dealer transaction expenses (such as fees paid to centralized clearinghouses and regulatory fees), market data expenses, customer statements, cash compensation, SBC and employee benefits as well as allocated overhead for employees engaged in clearing and brokerage functions. A large portion of our brokerage and transaction costs are variable and tied to trading and transaction volumes on our platform. For the year ended December 31, 2022, brokerage and transaction costs included $57 million as a result of the Q4 2022 Processing Error.

Technology and Development

Technology and development costs primarily consist of cash compensation, SBC and employee benefits as well as allocated overhead for engineering, data science, and design personnel who support and improve our platform and develop new products, costs for cloud infrastructure services, and costs associated with computer hardware and software, including amortization of internally developed software.

Operations

Operations costs consist of customer service related expenses, including cash compensation, SBC and employee benefits as well as allocated overhead for employees engaged in customer support, and costs incurred to support and improve customer experience (such as third-party customer service vendors). Operations costs also include our provision for credit losses and fraud primarily in connection with unrecoverable receivables due to Fraudulent Deposit Transactions and credit card expected losses.

Marketing

Marketing costs primarily consist of paid marketing channels such as digital marketing and brand marketing, as well as cash compensation, SBC, and employee benefits as well as allocated overhead for employees engaged in the marketing function. Marketing costs also include incentive expenses associated with the Robinhood Referral Program. Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and were $101 million, $52 million and $74 million in the years ended December 31, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

General and Administrative

General and administrative costs primarily consist of cash compensation, SBC, and employee benefits as well as allocated overhead for certain executives and employees engaged in legal, finance, human resources, risk, and compliance. General and administrative costs also include settlements and penalties, legal expenses, other professional fees, and real estate charges including impairments on our operating leases or lease improvements and lease terminations. For the year ended December 31, 2023, general and administrative costs included a $485 million SBC charge related to the 2021 Founders Award Cancellation.

Employee Retirement Benefits

We offer a defined contribution 401(k) plan to full-time employees. Employees may elect to contribute to a traditional 401(k) plan, which qualifies as a deferred compensation arrangement under Section 401 of the Code. In this case, participating employees defer a portion of their pre-tax earnings. Employees may

also contribute to a Roth 401(k) plan using post-tax dollars. We match employee contributions up to 3%, and have incurred $10 million, $14 million, and $12 million of expense related to matching for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs described in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 730, Research and Development, are expensed as incurred. Our research and development costs consist primarily of employee compensation and benefits for our engineering and research teams, including SBC. Research and development costs recorded in operating expenses under ASC 730 were $438 million, $381 million, and $349 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Share-based Compensation

Common Stock Fair Value

The fair value of our common stock is determined on the grant date using the closing price of our common stock, which is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

Prior to our IPO, the absence of an active market for our common stock required the board of directors, the members of which we believe had extensive business, finance and venture capital experience, to determine the fair value of our common stock for purposes of granting stock-based awards and for calculating stock-based compensation expense. We obtained contemporaneous third-party valuations to assist the board of directors in determining fair value. These contemporaneous third-party valuations used the methodologies, approaches, and considerations were consistent with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Practice Guide, Valuation of Privately-Held-Company Equity Securities Issued as Compensation.

Stock Options

We estimate the fair value of stock options granted to employees using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of stock options is recognized as compensation on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period. Forfeitures are accounted for when they occur.

The Black-Scholes option-pricing model incorporates various assumptions in estimating the fair value of stock-based awards. In addition to the fair value of our common stock, these variables include:

Expected volatility—As we do not have sufficient trading history of our common stock, we estimate the volatility of our common stock on the date of grant using the blended approach which considers the weighted average of historical stock price of our own stock and comparable publicly-traded companies over a period equal to the expected term of the award.

Expected term—We determine the expected term based on the average period the stock options are expected to remain outstanding using the simplified method, generally calculated as the midpoint of the stock options’ vesting term and contractual expiration period, as we do not have sufficient historical information to develop reasonable expectations about future exercise patterns and post-vesting employment termination behavior.

Risk-free interest rate—Based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve that corresponds with the expected term at the time of grant.

Expected dividend yield—We utilize a dividend yield of 0% as we have not paid, and do not anticipate paying, dividends on our common stock. 

Assumptions used in valuing non-employee stock options are generally consistent with those used for employee stock options with the exception that the expected term is over the contractual life.

Time-Based RSUs

We have granted Time-Based RSUs that vest upon the satisfaction of a time-based service condition. Prior to our IPO, our Time-Based RSUs vested based upon the satisfaction of both a time-based service condition and a performance-based condition, namely the occurrence of a liquidity event such as the IPO. The fair value of our RSUs is estimated based on the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant. The time-based service condition for our awards is generally satisfied over one or four years. For Time-Based RSUs granted pre-IPO, we record SBC expense on an accelerated attribution method over the requisite service period, as these awards include a performance-based vesting condition. The performance-based condition for our pre-IPO grants was satisfied upon the occurrence of the IPO in 2021, at which point we recorded a cumulative one-time SBC expense determined using the awards’ grant-date fair value. SBC related to the remaining time-based service after the IPO was recorded over the remaining requisite service period. No performance-based conditions exist for our post-IPO grants, and therefore for grants of Time-Based RSUs issued post-IPO, we record SBC expense on a straight line basis over the requisite service period.

Market-Based RSUs

We have granted RSUs that vest upon the satisfaction of all the following conditions: time-based service conditions, performance-based conditions, and market-based conditions. The time-based service condition for these awards generally is satisfied over six years. The performance-based conditions were satisfied upon the occurrence of an IPO. The market-based conditions are satisfied upon our achievement of specified share prices.

For market-based awards, we determine the grant-date fair value utilizing a Monte Carlo valuation model, which incorporates various assumptions including expected stock price volatility, expected term, risk-free interest rates, expected date of an IPO, and expected capital raise percentage. We estimate the expected term based on various vesting scenarios, as these awards are not considered “plain vanilla.” We estimate the expected date of an IPO based on our expectation at the time of measurement of the award’s value.

We record SBC expense for market-based equity awards on an accelerated attribution method over the requisite service period, and only if performance-based conditions are considered probable to be satisfied. We determine the requisite service period by comparing the derived service period to achieve the market-based condition and the explicit time-based service period, using the longer of the two service periods as the requisite service period. Upon the occurrence of our IPO in 2021, we recorded a cumulative one-time SBC expense determined using the grant-date fair values. Remaining SBC related to the Market-Based RSUs will be recorded over the remaining derived requisite service period. Previously recognized SBC related to the Market-Based RSUs will not be reversed even if the specified share prices are not achieved unless the requisite service is not rendered.

Net Income (Loss) per Share

We present net income (loss) per share using the two-class method required for multiple classes of common stock. The rights, including the liquidation and dividend rights, of the holders of Class A common stock and Class B common stock are identical, except with respect to voting. As the liquidation and dividend rights are identical for Class A common stock and Class B common stock, the undistributed earnings are allocated on a proportionate basis and the resulting income (loss) per share will, therefore, be the same for both Class A common stock and Class B common stock on an individual or combined basis.

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income available to our common stockholders, adjusted to exclude earnings allocated to participating securities, by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed on the basis of the weighted-average number of shares of common stock plus the effect of dilutive potential

common shares outstanding during the period. The computation of the diluted earnings per share of Class A common stock assumes the conversion of our Class B common stock to Class A common stock, while the diluted EPS of Class B common stock does not assume the conversion of those shares to Class A common stock.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include deposits with banks and money market funds or highly liquid financial instruments with maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase. We maintain cash in bank accounts at financial institutions that exceed federally insured limits. We also maintain cash in money market funds which are not FDIC insured. We are subject to credit risk to the extent any financial institution with which we conduct business is unable to fulfill contractual obligations on our behalf. As we have not experienced any losses in such accounts and we believe that we have placed our cash on deposit with financial institutions which are financially stable, we do not have an expectation of credit losses for these arrangements.

Cash Segregated Under Federal and Other Regulations

We are required to segregate cash for the exclusive benefit of customers and proprietary accounts of brokers in accordance with the provision of Rule 15c3-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). We continually review the credit quality of our counterparties and have not experienced a default. As a result, we do not have an expectation of credit losses for these arrangements. Segregated cash also includes certain customer funds for which we are an agent and custodian on behalf of our customers that are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets, and for which we follow statutory requirements to keep these funds segregated.

Restricted Cash

We are required to maintain restricted cash deposits to back letters of credit for certain property leases. We have no ability to draw on such funds as long as they remain restricted under the applicable agreements. Restricted cash also includes customers’ credit card payments that we collect on behalf of other financial institutions that are pending remittance. Cash subject to restrictions that expire within one year is included in other current assets in our consolidated balance sheets. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023, current restricted cash balances included in other current assets in our consolidated balance sheets were $1 million and $46 million. Cash subject to restrictions that exceed one year is included in other non-current assets in our consolidated balance sheets. For the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2023, non-current restricted cash balances were $22 million and $17 million.

Securities Borrowing and Lending

We operate a securities lending program under which shares that users have pledged to us to collateralize their margin borrowing are lent by us to third parties (“Margin Securities Lending”) and a Fully-Paid Securities Lending program under which we borrow fully-paid shares from participating users and lend them to third parties. We also occasionally borrow securities from third parties for operational purposes, and we occasionally lend to third parties securities that we hold for our own account (such as our holdings to support fractional share operations).

When we lend securities to third parties, the borrower provides cash as collateral. We earn interest revenue on cash collateral deposited by borrowers, and we can also earn additional revenue for lending certain securities based on demand for those securities. For our Fully-Paid Securities Lending, portions of such revenues are paid to participating users, and those payments are recorded as interest expense.

When we borrow securities from users participating in the Fully-Paid Securities Lending program (or from third parties), we provide cash as collateral and we record a receivable representing our right to the return of that collateral. The amount of that receivable is presented in “securities borrowed” on our

consolidated balance sheets. In the case of our Fully-Paid Securities Lending program, the cash collateral is held by a third-party bank in a deposit account pledged to the user, which we administer as the user’s agent. Users are not entitled to interest on such account, and any interest earned is for our benefit.

Our authorization from users to lend shares that collateralize their margin borrowing is found in our margin account agreement, our borrowing of fully-paid shares from users is conducted under the terms of our Fully-Paid Securities Lending program to which users consent when they enroll in that program, and substantially all of our securities lending and borrowing transactions with third parties are conducted under the terms of an industry-standard master securities loan agreement (“MSLA”), which has an open contractual term and may be terminated upon notice by either party. We have also entered into fixed-term securities lending agreements with two financial institution counterparties (the “Fixed-Term Securities Lending Agreements”). One of these agreements has a contractual term of 30 days per lending transaction with a daily minimum commitment of $25 million and the other has a contractual term of 21 days per lending transaction with a daily minimum commitment of $35 million. Under these two agreements we lend to the counterparties (for a fixed term) securities that collateralize users’ margin borrowing, and we obtain cash collateral from the counterparties that we use to provide liquidity support for our margin lending to users.

Each of the MSLAs and Fixed-Term Securities Lending Agreements establishes a master netting arrangement between the lender and the borrower. A master netting arrangement is an agreement between two counterparties that creates a right of set-off for amounts due to and from that same counterparty that is enforceable in the event of a default or bankruptcy. In connection with our securities borrowing and lending activities, however, our policy is to recognize all amounts that are subject to master netting arrangements on a gross basis in our consolidated balance sheets even though some of those amounts may be eligible for offset (i.e., to be presented on a net basis) under GAAP.

Cash Sweep

Our users may elect to participate in Cash Sweep, which allows them to earn interest on their uninvested brokerage cash. As these balances are automatically swept to our partner banks they are not reflected on the consolidated balance sheet.

Cryptocurrencies

We act as an agent in the cryptocurrency transactions that users initiate on our platform. We have determined we are an agent, for accounting purposes, because we do not control the cryptocurrency before delivery to the user, we are not primarily responsible for the delivery of cryptocurrency to our users, we are not exposed to risks arising from fluctuations of the market price of cryptocurrency before delivery to the user, and we do not set the prices charged to users. After purchasing cryptocurrency on the platform, users are the legal owners of cryptocurrency held under custody by us and users have all the rights and benefits of ownership, including the rights to appreciation and depreciation of the cryptocurrency. We do not allow users to purchase cryptocurrency on margin and cryptocurrency does not serve as collateral for margin loans. We hold cryptocurrency in custody for users in one or more omnibus cryptocurrency wallets; we do not utilize third-party custodians. We hold cryptographic key information and maintain internal record keeping for the cryptocurrencies we hold in custody for users, and we are obligated to secure such assets from loss or theft. Based on the terms of our user agreement, the structure of our crypto offerings, and applicable law, after consultation with internal and external legal counsel, we believe the cryptocurrency we hold in custody for users of our platform should be respected as users’ property (and should not be available to satisfy the claims of our general creditors) in the event we were to enter bankruptcy. For additional information relating to platform bankruptcy generally, see Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report, “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Cryptocurrency Products and Services—Cryptocurrency laws, regulations, and accounting standards are often difficult to interpret and are rapidly evolving in ways that are difficult to predict. Changes in these laws and regulations, or our failure to comply with them, could negatively impact cryptocurrency trading on our platform.”

User cryptocurrencies safeguarding obligation and the corresponding asset on the consolidated balance sheets represent our obligation to safeguard crypto assets held in our custody on behalf of our users. We carry these at fair value as prescribed by SAB 121. We are obligated to safeguard user assets from loss, theft, or other misuse. Any loss, theft, or other misuse would impact the measurement of the asset.

Investments

We invest in marketable debt securities and determine the classification at the time of purchase.

Available-for-sale investments are recorded at fair value. We have elected the fair value option for our available-for-sale investments as we believe carrying these investments at fair value and taking changes in fair value through earnings best reflects their underlying economics. Fair value adjustments are presented in other (income) expense, net and interest earned on the debt securities as net interest revenues in our consolidated statements of operations.

Held-to-maturity investments are securities that we have both the ability and positive intent to hold until maturity and are recorded at amortized cost. Interest income is calculated using the effective interest method, adjusted for deferred fees or costs, premium, or discount existing at the date of purchase. Interest earned is included in net interest revenues in our consolidated statements of operations. We evaluate held-to-maturity investment for credit losses on a quarterly basis. We do not expect credit losses for our held-to-maturity investments that are obligations of states and political subdivisions and securities issued by U.S. government sponsored agencies. We monitor remaining securities by type and standard credit rating.

Derivatives and Hedging Activities

All derivatives are recorded at fair value. The accounting for changes in the fair value of derivatives depends on the intended use of the derivative, whether we have elected to designate the derivative in a hedging relationship and whether the hedging relationship has satisfied the criteria necessary to apply hedge accounting if elected. As part of our interest rate risk management strategy, we use interest rate floors designated as cash flow hedges which involve the receipt of offsetting cash flows from a counterparty if interest rates fall below the strike rate on the contract in exchange for an up-front premium. Changes in fair value of the cash flow hedges are recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“AOCI”) and are subsequently reclassified to net interest revenues as interest payments are received on the hedged item. We assess hedge effectiveness on a quarterly basis to ensure all hedges remain highly effective. If the derivative financial instruments designated as cash flow hedges are deemed ineffective, changes in the fair value of the derivative financial instrument are recognized directly in net interest revenues.

We are exposed to credit risk if counterparties to our derivative contracts do not perform pursuant to the terms of our interest rate floors. Should a counterparty fail to perform under the terms of our interest rate floors, our credit exposure is limited to the net positive fair value and accrued interest owed from the failing counterparty. We mitigate counterparty credit risk through credit approvals, credit limits and monitoring procedures, as appropriate.

We enter into master netting agreements with counterparties that permit the net settlement of amounts owed under the derivative contracts. The master netting agreements generally provide for net settlement of all outstanding contracts with a counterparty in the case of an event of default or a termination event. We do not offset fair value amounts recognized for derivative instruments under master netting arrangements. Our derivative contracts do not require collateral to be posted by us or the counterparties.

Credit Card Program

The Robinhood Credit card program is funded under the Program Agreement between Robinhood Credit and Coastal Bank, where Coastal Bank is the originator and owner of customer principal balances. Robinhood Credit is responsible for administering the credit card program on a mobile app, including, (i) setting customer credit limits within Coastal Bank’s underwriting standards, (ii) loan servicing, (iii) remitting collected principal from customers to Coastal Bank, and (iv) offering and maintaining the customer rewards program. Coastal Bank is responsible for (i) funding the customer credit, (ii) reporting customer credit activities, and (iii) holding customer receivables. Additionally, Robinhood Credit is responsible to pay Coastal Bank customer balances that are ultimately charged off or deemed uncollectible, generally when balances become outstanding for over 180 days. Robinhood Credit estimates the related credit card expected loss liability using a current expected credit losses model by evaluating historical collection data as well as considering charge off trends and market data by FICO cohort.

Under the Program Agreement, Robinhood Credit collects interest from customers that carry a balance and pays interest on the amount funded by Coastal Bank, with the difference between those amounts resulting in net interest revenue. In addition, Robinhood Credit earns revenue from interchange fees from each credit card transaction. As an agent, Robinhood Credit recognizes interchange revenue net of a revenue share paid to Coastal Bank, certain fees paid to third-parties, and rewards paid to customers.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

We apply fair value accounting for all financial assets and liabilities and non-financial assets and liabilities that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the consolidated financial statements on a recurring basis. Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In determining fair value, we may use various valuation approaches, including market, income and/or cost approaches. The fair value hierarchy requires us to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. Fair value is a market-based measure considered from the perspective of a market participant. Accordingly, even when market assumptions are not readily available, our own assumptions reflect those that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. The fair value measurement accounting guidance describes the following three levels used to classify fair value measurements:

Level 1 Inputs: unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that are accessible by us

Level 2 Inputs: quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in an active market, quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly

Level 3 Inputs: unobservable inputs that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities

A financial instrument’s level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The carrying amounts of certain financial instruments approximate their fair value due to the short-term nature, which include cash and cash equivalents, cash segregated under federal and other regulations, receivables from brokers, dealers, and clearing organizations, receivables from users, net, deposits with clearing organizations, other current assets, accounts payable and accrued expenses, payable to users, securities loaned, and other current liabilities.

Receivables From Brokers, Dealers, and Clearing Organizations

Receivables from brokers, dealers, and clearing organizations include receivables from market makers for routing user orders for execution and other receivables from third-party brokers. These

receivables are short term and settle within 30 days. We continually review the credit quality of our counterparties and have not experienced a default. As a result, we do not have an expectation of credit losses for these arrangements.

Receivables From Users, Net

Receivables from users, net are primarily made up of margin receivables. Margin receivables are adequately collateralized by users’ securities balances and are reported at their outstanding principal balance, net of an allowance for credit losses. We monitor margin levels and require users to deposit additional collateral, or reduce margin positions, to meet minimum collateral requirements and to avoid automatic liquidation of their positions.

We apply the practical expedient based on collateral maintenance provisions in estimating an allowance for credit losses for receivables from users. We have no expectation of credit losses for receivables from users that are fully secured, where the fair value of the collateral securing the balance is equal to or in excess of the receivable amount. This is based on our assessment of the nature of the collateral, potential future changes in collateral values, and historical credit loss information relating to fully secured receivables. In cases where the fair value of the collateral is less than the outstanding receivable balance from a user, we recognize an allowance for credit losses in the amount of the difference, or unsecured balance, immediately.

The provision for credit losses is recorded as operations expense on the consolidated statement of operations. We write-off unsecured balances when the balance becomes outstanding for over 180 days or when we otherwise deem the balance to be uncollectible.

Deposits With Clearing Organizations

We are required to maintain collateral deposits with clearing organizations such as Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation and Options Clearing Corporation which allow us to use their security transactions services for trade comparison, clearance, and settlement. The clearing organizations establish financial requirements, including deposit requirements, to reduce their risk. The required level of deposits may fluctuate significantly from time to time based upon the nature and size of users’ trading activity and market volatility. We earn interest on these deposits which is included as net interest revenues in the consolidated statements of operations. As we have not experienced historic defaults, we do not have an expectation of credit losses for these arrangements. As of December 31, 2023, $50 million of our U.S. treasury securities were pledged to a clearing organization to meet margin requirements for our security lending program.

Fractional Share Program

We operate our fractional share program for the benefit of our users and maintain an inventory of securities held exclusively for the fractional share program. This proprietary inventory is recorded within other current assets on our consolidated balance sheets.

When a user purchases a fractional share, we record the cash received for the user-held fractional share as pledged collateral and an offsetting liability to repurchase the shares as we concluded that we did not meet the criteria for derecognition under the accounting guidance. We measure our inventory of securities, user-held fractional shares and our repurchase obligation at fair value at each reporting period via the election of the fair value option, with realized and unrealized gains and losses recorded in brokerage and transaction expenses in our consolidated statement of operations. We do not earn revenue from our users when they purchase or sell fractional shares from us. We earn transaction-based revenue when shares are purchased from or routed to market makers to fulfill fractional share transactions.

Other Current Assets

Other current assets include restricted cash subject to restrictions that expire within one year, other receivables, stablecoin assets owned by us that are considered financial assets, deferred costs of Robinhood Match Incentive Program (defined below), interest and dividends receivable, and securities owned by us used for the Robinhood Referral program and fractional share program.

Robinhood Match Incentive Program

Match incentives on customers’ eligible contributions to their retirement accounts and transfers of assets to our platform are subject to forfeiture if the recipient does not hold the contributed funds or transferred assets in their account for a specified period of time. The match incentive amount is deferred and recognized over the specified period of time as a reduction to revenue. If match funds are forfeited, we adjust the deferred match incentive balance and recognize any difference between the deferred match incentive balance and funds recuperated as an adjustment to revenue. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the amount recognized as a reduction of revenue was immaterial. We review the deferred match incentive balance for impairment. For the year ended December 31, 2023, no impairment was recognized.

Robinhood Referral Program

The stock rewarded under this program is included in other current assets in our consolidated balance sheets. Our inventory of settled shares is initially recorded at cost and marked to fair market value at each reporting period, with gains and losses from changes in the fair market value of the shares recorded within marketing expense in our consolidated statement of operations. Shares are derecognized when they are claimed by the user and delivered to the users’ account. We record an accrued liability within other current liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets at the time the bank account is linked with the expense recorded within marketing expense in our consolidated statement of operations. The liability is initially recorded at the fair market value of the assigned share or shares upon the reward being earned by the referred user (i.e., upon bank linkage) and marked to fair market value until claimed or reversed, with gains and losses also recorded within marketing expense. The liability is derecognized when the share is claimed by the user and delivered to the users’ account.

Property, Software, and Equipment

Property, software, and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation and amortization is recorded on a straight-line basis over the useful life of the asset, which is as follows:

Property, Software, and Equipment	Useful Life
Computer equipment	3 years
Fixture and furniture	7 years
Tenant improvements	Shorter of estimated useful life or lease term
Internally developed software	3 years

Repairs and maintenance that do not enhance or extend the asset’s function and/or useful life are charged to expenses as incurred. When items are sold or retired, the related cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any gains or losses arising from such transactions are recognized.

Internally developed software is capitalized when preliminary development efforts are successfully completed and it is probable that the project will be completed and the software will be used as intended. Capitalized costs consist of SBC, salaries, and payroll related costs for employees, and fees paid to third-party consultants who are directly involved in development efforts. Capitalized costs are amortized over

the estimated useful life of the software on a straight-line basis and included in technology and development in the consolidated statements of operations. We expense software development costs as they are incurred during the preliminary project stage.

Non-Marketable Equity Securities

Investments in non-marketable equity securities without readily determinable fair values are initially recorded at cost and are subsequently adjusted to fair value for impairments and price changes from observable transactions in the same or a similar security from the same issuer. Non-marketable equity securities are included in other non-current assets on the consolidated balance sheets and the related balances were not material for the periods presented.

Leases

We elected to apply the short-term lease measurement and recognition practical expedient to our leases where applicable, thus leases with an initial term of 12 months or less are not recorded on the balance sheet; we recognize lease expense for these leases on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized at the present value of the future lease payments at the lease commencement date for each lease. The interest rate used to determine the present value of the future lease payments is our incremental borrowing rate because the interest rate implicit in most of our leases is not readily determinable. Our incremental borrowing rate is estimated to approximate the interest rate that we would pay to borrow on a collateralized basis with similar terms and payments as the lease. Operating lease right-of-use assets also include any prepaid lease payments and lease incentives. Our lease agreements generally contain lease and non-lease components. Non-lease components, which primarily include payments for maintenance and utilities, are combined with lease payments and accounted for as a single lease component. We include the fixed non-lease components in the determination of the right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities. We record the amortization of the right-of-use asset and the accretion of lease liability as rent expense and allocate it as overhead in the consolidated statements of operations.

Business Combinations

We account for acquisitions of entities or asset groups that qualify as businesses in accordance with ASC 805, “Business Combinations”. The purchase price of the acquisition is allocated to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair values at the acquisition date. The excess of the purchase price over those fair values is recorded as goodwill. During the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, we may record adjustments to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed with the corresponding offset to goodwill. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the values of assets acquired or liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any subsequent adjustments are recorded in the consolidated statements of operations.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired in a business combination and is allocated to reporting units expected to benefit from the business combination. We test goodwill for impairment at least annually, in the fourth quarter, or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that goodwill might be impaired. We evaluate our reporting units when changes in our operating structure occur, and if necessary, reassign goodwill using a relative fair value allocation approach. In testing for goodwill impairment, we first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, we determine it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a

reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then additional impairment testing is not required. However, if we conclude otherwise, we proceed to a quantitative assessment.

The quantitative assessment compares the estimated fair value of a reporting unit to its book value, including goodwill. If the fair value exceeds book value, goodwill is considered not to be impaired and no additional steps are necessary. However, if the book value of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss will be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.

Intangible Assets, Net

Intangible assets are carried at cost and amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. We evaluate the remaining estimated useful life of its intangible assets being amortized on an ongoing basis to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining period of amortization.

Impairment of Long-lived Assets

We evaluate the recoverability of long-lived assets, including property, software, and equipment, leases, and finite-lived intangible assets whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amounts of such assets may not be recoverable compared to the undiscounted future net cash flows the assets are expected to generate. The impairment test is performed at the asset group level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. When the test results indicate that the carrying amount of long-lived assets is not recoverable, the carrying amount of such assets is reduced to fair value. Fair value is determined through various valuation techniques including discounted cash flow models, quoted market values, and third–party independent appraisals, as considered necessary.

Payables to Users

Payables to users represent users’ funds on deposit, and/or funds accruing to users as a result of settled trades and other security related transactions.

Loss Contingencies

We are subject to claims and lawsuits in the ordinary course of business, including arbitration, class actions and other litigation, some of which include claims for substantial or unspecified damages. We are also the subject of inquiries, investigations, and proceedings by regulatory and other governmental agencies. We review our lawsuits, regulatory inquiries and other legal proceedings on an ongoing basis and provide disclosures and record loss contingencies in accordance with the loss contingencies accounting guidance. We establish an accrual for losses at management’s best estimate when we assess that it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. If the reasonable estimate is a range and no amount within that range is considered a better estimate than any other amount, an accrual is recorded based on the bottom amount of the range. Accrual for loss contingencies are recorded in accounts payable and accrued expenses on the consolidated balance sheets and expensed in general and administrative expenses in our consolidated statements of operations. We monitor these matters for developments that would affect the likelihood of a loss and the accrued amount, if any, and adjust the amount as appropriate.

Income Taxes

Income tax expense is an estimate of current income taxes payable in the current fiscal year based on reported income before income taxes. Deferred income taxes reflect the effect of temporary differences and carryforwards that we recognize for financial reporting and income tax purposes at enacted tax rates expected to be in effect when taxes are actually paid or recovered.

We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires recognition of deferred income tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our consolidated financial statements, but have not been reflected in our taxable income. Deferred tax assets are evaluated for future realization and reduced by a valuation allowance to the extent we believe that they will not be realized. We consider many factors when assessing the likelihood of future realization of our deferred tax assets including, but not limited to, historical cumulative loss experience and expectations of future earnings, tax planning strategies, and the carry-forward periods available for tax reporting purposes. Our judgment regarding future profitability may change due to many factors, including future market conditions and the ability to successfully execute business plans and/or tax planning strategies. Should there be a change in the ability to recover deferred tax assets, our tax provision would increase or decrease in the period in which the assessment is changed.

We recognize a tax benefit from an uncertain tax position when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including resolutions of any related appeals or litigation, based on the technical merits. Income tax positions must meet a more-likely-than-not recognition threshold at the effective date to be recognized. We account for uncertain tax positions, including net interest and penalties, as a component of income tax expense or benefit. We make adjustments to these uncertain tax positions in accordance with applicable income tax guidance and based on changes in facts and circumstances. To the extent that the final tax outcome of these matters is different from the amounts recorded, such differences will affect the provision for income taxes in the period in which such determination is made and could have a material impact to our consolidated financial statements and operating results.

Related Parties

We have defined related parties as members of our board of directors, executive officers, principal owners of our outstanding stock, and any immediate family members of each such related party, as well as any other person or entity with significant influence over our management or operations and any other affiliates. Related party transactions may include any transaction between entities under common control or with a related party.