Just like everything else.

Do you currently use Robinhood? If not, are you planning to get the app?

Very solid points raised throughout this thread on both ends. Both those optimistic as well as pessimistic would be remiss not take take the time in these market conditions to study Bitcoin's historical price data. Volatility has been seemingly native to the digital currency over time, which has gone through more ups and downs over the years since it was launched circa 2010 than many realize. At this very moment, there are convincing arguments in favor of both trajectories for the crypto market (i.e. "this is only the beginning for cryptocurrencies," "the government-backed financial system is still flawed", "the markets have seen these dips and recovered strongly in the past," etc. VS "we are currently witnessing the bubble popping - just look at the prices," "cryptocurrencies have no real value," "they are impossible to regulate," etc,).

What seems clear, however, is that more players, like Robinhood named here, are still seizing the opportunity to break int the game. It will undoubtedly bring more competition to the table, but only time will tell where it goes from there.

Very well said.

Thanks for the share!

The impact of your point, which is well taken, could arguably be offset by the influx of new investors who were withholding due to deregulation until this point. I personally know countless individuals who refuse to own crypto because of this reason alone. Should regulators get involved, the market will likely gain more legitimacy and an injection of new capital.

Thank you!

Thanks, Aaron!

It's a good point you raise. Robinhood actually openly said it doesn't plan to profit much directly from crypto trading per se, rather the value stems from offering more to its user body. The Techcrunch article I referenced in the article explains this nicely below:

"'We’re planning to operate this business on a break-even basis and we don’t plan to profit from it for the foreseeable future' says Robinhood co-founder Vlad Tenev. “The value of Robinhood Crypto is in growing our customer base and better serving our existing customers.'

By essentially using crypto trading as a loss leader instead of its primary business like Coinbase and other apps, Robinhood could substantially expand beyond the 3 million users it already has. Simplifying trading and tracking could bolster Bitcoin and Ethereum. And by combining it with traditional stock, ETF, and option trading in a single app, Robinhood could further legitimize the cryptocurrency craze. The two trading worlds could cross-pollinate, dragging even more people into the crypto scene."

However, I would argue that Robinhood is by no means late to the game, and that crypto is still in its infancy stage. The next couple years will be when much of the speculation and development up until now gets tested and potentially adopted. The current price slump, similar to recent all-time-highs are mainly just tethered to news stories and the press.

Firstly, I think it's a trend that we're going to see more and more of. Because of both the growing popularity and advantageous technology that underpin cryptocurrencies, companies will likely start integrating cryptocurrency buzzwords (i.e. "blockchain," "decentralized," etc.) into their marketing strategies and some will even launch tokens native to the companies' offerings themselves.

What Kodak is attempting to do here is to solve the seemingly perpetual problem of image rights management amongst photographers through the KodakCoin ecosystem, which will be sold through an "initial coin offering" in late January. It is a practical idea which many photographers who have run into licensing issues in the past will be especially enticed by.

It is yet to be seen how the project pans out. For example, if the platform is not user-friendly or the tokens not easily accessible, the project will have a difficult time gaining widescale adoption and use amongst its intended audience. Should it be a success, however, expect many more companies to turn to blockchain-based solution to tackle issues unique to their respective industries.

In the meanwhile, ever since the announcement, Kodak's stock price has more than tripled.