Robinhood: how the referral works

What is Robinhood?

Robinhood is a US-origin retail brokerage that opened to European customers in 2024 via a separate EU entity, Robinhood Europe, UAB, headquartered in Lithuania. The European product launched as crypto-only — that is, EU residents can buy, sell, and hold a list of cryptocurrencies inside the Robinhood Europe app, but they cannot, at the time of writing, use the same app to trade US-listed stocks or ETFs the way US Robinhood customers can. Robinhood has publicly committed to extending European coverage into stocks, but the date and the regulatory path are not finalised.

The European entity is licensed by the Bank of Lithuania and operates under the Lithuanian framework for virtual asset service providers, which is being migrated onto the harmonised MiCA crypto-asset service provider regime as the regulation rolls out across the EU through 2025–2026. In practice that means EU users today are dealing with a regulated crypto venue whose entity is supervised by an EU national competent authority, with a clear path to MiCA passporting once authorisation is granted.

How the referral works

The referral link on this page directs new EU users to the Robinhood Europe sign-up flow. After identity verification, the in-app welcome screen prompts for a first deposit; depositing at least €50 unlocks €50 in crypto credited to the account once the deposit settles. The €50 is allocated according to the rules disclosed in the app’s promotional terms and is paid as actual crypto rather than in-app credit, so once it settles the user can hold it, sell it for fiat, or convert it inside the venue.

The qualifying threshold is intentionally low compared with most broker welcome offers — that lowers the friction for first-time users to test the product without committing meaningful capital, but it also reflects that Robinhood Europe is in customer-acquisition mode for its EU launch.

Who Robinhood Europe is for

Robinhood Europe today is for EU residents who specifically want a clean mobile crypto experience inside an app that they may already know by reputation, and who are comfortable with the product being crypto-only for the foreseeable future. The bonus is small and accessible, and the app is straightforward.

It is not a fit for users who want a one-stop investing app that covers stocks and ETFs alongside crypto — until Robinhood ships its European stock product, that requirement is met by other brokers on this list. It is also not a fit for users in EU member states that are not on the Robinhood Europe country list, which is shown on the in-app country picker.

Regulatory posture

Robinhood Europe, UAB is established in Lithuania and supervised by the Bank of Lithuania. The entity holds the relevant Lithuanian virtual asset service provider authorisation and is in the process of obtaining full MiCA crypto-asset service provider authorisation in line with the EU regulation that began applying to CASPs in late 2024. EU MiCA passporting will, once granted, allow Robinhood Europe to operate across the EEA under a single home-state authorisation.

Crypto holdings are custodied under the entity’s published arrangements; they are not deposit-insured. That is the standard position for every regulated EU crypto venue and is not specific to Robinhood. Read the in-app legal disclosures before depositing.

Things to watch for

• The product is crypto-only in the EU at launch. Do not sign up expecting US-style commission-free stock trading; that is not yet available.
• Country availability is narrower than the EU. The country-picker on first launch is the binding list.
• Crypto is not deposit-insured anywhere. Protection is custody-based — segregation of customer assets — not deposit-guarantee based.
• The €50 is paid in crypto, which means its EUR value drifts with market price after settlement. The headline figure is the EUR value at the moment of credit.

Conclusion

Robinhood Europe is a sensible pick for an EU resident who wants a small, accessible welcome credit on a regulated EU crypto app and who is comfortable with the EU footprint being crypto-only for now. The €50 deposit threshold is among the lowest qualifying steps on this list, the entity is supervised by an EU national competent authority, and the broader Robinhood roadmap suggests the European product will expand. Tap through, complete onboarding, deposit €50, and the bonus settles in.