Robinhood Markets CEO Vlad Tenev has urged US lawmakers to take a leadership role in shaping crypto regulation, warning that regulatory uncertainty is holding back innovation and limiting access for American users.
In a post on X on January 15, Tenev said staking remains one of the most requested features on Robinhood, yet it is still unavailable to customers in four US states due to regulatory bottlenecks.
Staking is one of the most requested features on @RobinhoodApp, but it’s still unavailable to customers in four U.S. states due to the current gridlock. Stock Tokens are available to our customers in the EU, but not in our home market.
It’s time for the US to lead on crypto…
— Vlad Tenev (@vladtenev) January 15, 2026
“Stock tokens are live for our customers in the EU, but not in our home market,”
Tenev wrote, pointing to what he described as policy paralysis in the United States.
According to Robinhood’s website, crypto staking is currently unavailable in California, Maryland, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.
Tenev pushes Congress to unlock crypto innovation
Tenev called for clear and balanced crypto legislation that both protects consumers and encourages innovation, throwing Robinhood’s support behind efforts in Congress to pass a long-awaited crypto market structure bill.
“We support Congress’s efforts to pass the market structure bill,”
he said, while noting that significant work remains. He added that Robinhood is willing to help lawmakers bridge remaining gaps.
His comments come as debate over US crypto regulation intensifies. On Wednesday, the Senate Banking Committee delayed its planned markup of a sweeping market structure bill designed to clarify when crypto assets should be treated as securities, commodities, or other financial instruments.
The delay followed Coinbase’s decision to withdraw support for the latest draft. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong cited major concerns, including provisions that could effectively ban tokenized equities, restrict DeFi activity, and eliminate stablecoin rewards.
Also Read: Robinhood Cuts 10% of Workforce as Crypto Trading Rebounds and Restructuring Continues
Robinhood CEO says AI will create jobs, not kill them
Beyond crypto, Tenev also weighed in on artificial intelligence during a separate interview with FOX Business, pushing back against fears that AI will wipe out jobs.
According to Tenev, AI is more likely to spark widespread innovation and create entirely new categories of work rather than eliminate employment altogether.
“AI will lead to an explosion of not just new jobs, but new job families,”
he said, adding that while technological change may happen faster than before, history shows disruption tends to reshape work, not erase it.
The U.S. has already made some progress
The regulatory picture is not the same as it was when Robinhood first began pushing for clearer crypto rules. In 2025, the GENIUS Act became the first major federal legislation governing stablecoins in the United States, giving the sector a federal framework for payment stablecoins.
The SEC also took a major step in March 2026 by issuing an interpretation explaining how federal securities laws apply to certain crypto assets and transactions. The agency described the move as an effort to provide greater clarity while Congress works on market-structure legislation.
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