Staking Still Unavailable in Four States, Robinhood CEO Presses U.S. Lawmakers for Clarity

Vlad Tenev, head of Robinhood Markets, has urged the US to take the lead in shaping crypto policy. He called for clear regulatory frameworks that foster innovation and protect consumers.

On January 15, Vlad Tenev said on X that staking remains one of the most sought-after features among Robinhood users. However, the feature is still not available to customers in four US states “due to the current gridlock.”

“Stock Tokens are available to our customers in the EU, but not in our home market,” he wrote.

Staking is one of the most requested features on @RobinhoodApp, but it’s still unavailable to customers in four U.S. states due to the current gridlock. Stock Tokens are available to our customers in the EU, but not in our home market.

It's time for the US to lead on crypto…

— Vlad Tenev (@vladtenev) January 15, 2026

Per the Robinhood website, staking crypto is currently unavailable in California, Maryland, New Jersey and Wisconsin.

“Time for the US to Lead on Crypto Policy”: Vlad Tenev

Further, Tenev voiced for clear legislation that protects consumers and unlocks innovation. “We support Congress’s efforts to pass the market structure bill,” he said, adding that there is still work to be done.

“But we see a path and are here to help the U.S. Senate Banking Committee GOP and the Senate Banking and Housing Democrats get it over the line.”

Robinhood CEO’s comments come amid ongoing discussions about the need for comprehensive crypto regulations in the US.

On Wednesday, the Senate Banking Committee pushed back its planned markup of a sweeping crypto market structure bill. The legislation seeks to define when crypto tokens are securities, commodities or otherwise, giving the industry long-hoped-for legal clarity.

The decision to postpone arrives hours after Coinbase pulled its support for the bill’s latest version. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong flagged “too many issues,” including a de facto ban on tokenized equities, DeFi prohibitions and amendments that would kill rewards on stablecoins.

Robinhood CEO Argues AI Won’t Eliminate Jobs

In a separate conversation with FOX Business, Vlad Tenev said that AI could help drive new innovation and job creation.

“AI will lead to an explosion of not just new jobs, but new job families,” he said. He argued that technical disruption has always reformed work norms rather than eliminating them altogether.

“Even though we’ve seen disruption like this in the past, we have a feeling that it’s going to be more rapid,” he noted.