London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Robinhood is getting rid of one of its most controversial features

Robinhood is getting rid of one of its most controversial features

Robinhood is getting rid of the confetti animation that appears on users' screens after they conduct their first trade and achieve other milestones. The change comes as the app faces growing scrutiny over what critics say is a gamification of trading that masks the potential for real losses in the financial markets.

The design changes, announced in a blog post Wednesday, will roll out next week as part of "new, dynamic visual experiences that cheer on customers through the milestones in their financial journeys," the company said.

Robinhood currently displays confetti after a number of "firsts" for each trader, including when they initially deposit money into the app, make their first trade and upgrade to a premium membership. The confetti imagery will be replaced by new graphic elements featuring shapes and colors that are comparatively more sedate.

Confetti will be replaced by imagery like this.


The company recently filed to go public following a controversial start to 2021.

Robinhood set off a firestorm in January when it temporarily banned users from buying shares of GameStop (GME) and other stocks driven up by an army of traders on Reddit. Robinhood blamed the controversial restrictions on a demand from its clearinghouse to put up as much as $3 billion due to the market volatility.

The company was sued earlier this year by the family of a 20-year-old trader who died by suicide after he saw a negative balance of $730,000 in his trading account and mistakenly believed that was the sum of money he owed. The tragedy drew attention to the gamified nature of the Robinhood platform, as well as the startup's customer service policies, which it has since changed.

And last December, Massachusetts securities regulators slammed the app for the colorful confetti and other marketing techniques. The complaint accused the company of violating state law and regulations by failing to take steps to protect its customers. It also said that Robinhood relentlessly bombards users with gamification strategies, including "colorful confetti raining down" on their screens after executing trades.

However, controversies haven't dented Robinhood's popularity. Recent data from SimilarWeb shows that the app "receives more traffic than any of the traditional retail brokerages." For example, January visits surpassed 50 million — about 10 million more than Charles Schwab's website.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×