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The growing role of crypto in both retail investing and global financial systems is becoming more evident, especially as platforms like Robinhood provide accessible entry points for users.
Roundtable anchor, Rob Nelson, was joined by Johann Kerbrat, Head of Crypto at Robinhood, to discuss trends in the retail space, the rise of decentralized finance (DeFi), and the increasing appeal of cryptocurrencies among unbanked populations globally.
"I always like to point out to people that when I go to a gas station, even in a rougher neighborhood, there's a bitcoin ATM sitting there," said Rob Nelson. "This is because more people who are unbanked or underserved are finding bitcoin as an alternative financial system that appeals to them." He highlighted that the shift is particularly unique, as it opens up financial tools to those historically excluded from mainstream banking systems.
Johann Kerbrat explained that this trend extends beyond the United States. "If you think about outside of the U.S., you have countries that, for example, skipped the whole banking system and went straight to the next generation, where it's more like neobanks and online services," said Kerbrat. He added that in nations with local currency instability or hyperinflation, crypto assets like stablecoins and bitcoin are widely adopted as protective measures.
Kerbrat also noted growing onchain activity among Robinhood users. "We see a lot of people buying on Robinhood because of our lower cost average and then transferring into their self-custody wallet or going onchain," he said. According to Kerbrat, this activity demonstrates that crypto use extends beyond simple price speculation and into real participation in decentralized platforms.
"We have two products: Users can transfer within Robinhood retail, if eligible, and we also offer Robinhood Connect, which integrates directly with self-custody wallets," Kerbrat added. "We see a lot of usage from these two products, showing people want the ability to self-custody or participate in platforms like decentralized exchanges."