Coinbase and Robinhood set for direct retail finance showdown in 2026

Beincrypto reports the long-simmering rivalry between Coinbase and Robinhood intensifies in 2026 as both companies now compete to become the primary retail finance super app. Coinbase’s December system update signaled the push: commission-free stock and ETF trading with 24/5 availability, native prediction market integration via Kalshi, a DEX aggregator, direct deposit, crypto-backed borrowing, debit spending and USDC-based yield products.

Brian Armstrong also publicly outlined 2026 priorities including growing an "everything exchange," scaling stablecoins and payments, and advancing on-chain efforts, while critics and builders warn the company risks splitting focus and should concentrate more on owning the retail frontend.

At the same time Coinbase retains institutional strengths: over 200 institutions use its Crypto-as-a-Service platform, it holds custody for the majority of US spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, manages hundreds of billions in assets under custody, and has expanded via acquisitions such as Deribit and Echo.

Key Topics

Crypto, Coinbase, Robinhood, Brian Armstrong, Kalshi, Deribit