Robinhood began rolling out crypto trading for eligible UK customers on 10 August 2026, adding more than 50 assets including Bitcoin, Ether and XRP to its app. Bitstamp UK Ltd supplies the crypto account and custody service as an FCA-registered cryptoasset exchange and custodian-wallet provider, FRN 978690.[1][2]
The trading, account and custody charges are zero. Orders and charts use US dollars, so a sterling-funded customer needs to consider conversion alongside the trading spread. Crypto trading runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, subject to service availability; the FX conversion price also depends on when the customer converts.[1][2][4]
The route to the first trade
Before the first trade
| Step | Requirement | Operational effect |
|---|---|---|
| Data sharing | Consent to information sharing between Robinhood UK and Bitstamp UK. | Supports identity verification and creation of the crypto account.Source 2 |
| Risk warning | Review the UK high-risk investment disclosures. | The customer must see the risk before proceeding.Source 2 |
| Investor profile | Provide experience, income and investment-goal information. | Used in the onboarding assessment.Source 2 |
| Appropriateness assessment | Answer questions about crypto concepts and risks. | A failed or incomplete assessment can prevent access.Source 2 |
| Cooling-off period | Wait 24 hours after approval. | Prices can be viewed, but buy and sell controls remain unavailable.Source 2 |
| Annual recertification | Repeat the profile and appropriateness process every 12 months. | Continued trading depends on current information.Source 2 |
The assessment addresses the customer’s knowledge and experience. After onboarding and account approval, the documented 24-hour cooling-off period allows price browsing while buy and sell controls remain unavailable. A customer who changes their mind during that period can contact support to withdraw the application.[2]
What a sterling-funded trade costs
Execution and cost mechanics
| Feature | Published treatment | Execution consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Order type | Market orders only. | User-set limits, stops and recurring orders are not currently available.Source 3 |
| Buy collar | +1% above current ask | If the market moves outside the collar, the order can remain pending or fail to execute.Source 3Source 6 |
| Sell collar | 5% below current bid | The larger downside collar is a protection boundary, not a guaranteed fill price.Source 3Source 6 |
| Execution currency | US dollars | Sterling may need to be converted before or during the trade.Source 2Source 3 |
| FX fee | 0.10% during FX hours; 0.30% at weekends and specified US bank holidays | GBP/USD conversion only. Standard FX hours: Sunday 17:00 to Friday 17:00 ET; published holiday exceptions apply.Source 4Source 1 |
| Quoted price | Bid/ask market | A buy normally meets the ask and a sale the bid, creating a spread cost.Source 6 |
At the published conversion rates, converting £1,000 costs £1 during standard FX hours or £3 during the 0.30% window. These are one-way FX charges, calculated before any crypto spread or subsequent exchange-rate movement. A later conversion back to sterling is a separate conversion; simply selling crypto into an existing dollar balance does not itself require one.[4][2]
A market order is routed with a price collar: 1% above the current ask for a buy and 5% below the current bid for a sale. The order may remain pending or fail if execution would breach that boundary. This creates a defined price constraint while retaining exposure to the executable bid or ask within it.[3][6]
Cash funding and the route out of a holding
Funding, asset movement and legal scope
| Area | Current position | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Deposits and withdrawals of crypto | Not supported. | Assets must be bought, sold and held inside the service; no external wallet transfer.Source 5Source 3 |
| Staking | Not available. | The account does not currently generate protocol staking yield.Source 3 |
| Margin | Crypto is non-marginable and cannot be collateral. | A customer using brokerage margin must clear the margin balance before placing a crypto buy.Source 3Source 6 |
| Protection | No FSCS or Financial Ombudsman Service coverage for the crypto holding. | Registration under money-laundering rules is not the same as investment compensation or ombudsman protection.Source 1 |
| Service entity | Bitstamp UK provides crypto; Robinhood UK provides the app relationship and introductions. | The crypto account has its own counterparty and terms within the shared app.Source 2 |
The external-transfer restriction makes selling within the service the available way to turn a holding back into cash. For a customer intending to move coins to a private wallet or another exchange, that changes the required sequence from a transfer to a sale and any subsequent repurchase elsewhere, each at its applicable market price and costs.[5][3]
Sources & further reading
- Robinhood launches crypto trading for UK investors Robinhood · 10 Aug 2026 · Accessed 16 Oct 2026
- Trading crypto on Bitstamp UK in the Robinhood app Robinhood · Accessed 16 Oct 2026
- Buying and selling crypto: order types, collars and limitations Robinhood · Accessed 16 Oct 2026
- Robinhood UK price schedule Robinhood · Accessed 16 Oct 2026
- Robinhood UK crypto product page Robinhood · Accessed 16 Oct 2026
- Robinhood UK crypto FAQ Robinhood · Accessed 16 Oct 2026