Robinhood Financial is facing an investigation over CEO Vlad Tenevâs failure to register with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority , one of Wall Streetâs top regulators, the online broker disclosed Tuesday in regulatory filings.
The firm said it received an âinvestigative requestâ from Finra on Monday.
In question is Robinhoodâs compliance with âFinra registration requirements,â particularly the status of Tenev and his co-founder, Baiju Bhatt. Finra wants documents and information, Robinhood said.
âRobinhood is evaluating this matter and intends to cooperate with the investigation,â the firm said in the documents.
Although it was previously reported that Tenev lacked a Finra license, the investigation by Finra is new. It is sure to add scrutiny to Robinhoodâs business practices as the popular online stock trading platform prepares to go public. The fintech offers cryptocurrency trading for seven major coins, including fan favorite DOGE.
Finra requires employees âengaged in the securities businessâ to register and pass a series of exams that test their âcompetenceâ in the securities industry. Itâs a stopgap meant to âensureâ brokers have a âminimum understanding and expertise,â according to Finra.
In the past, Robinhood has argued that Tenev is exempt from Finra registration because he is CEO of Robinhood Markets, the holding company, not its trading subsidiary, Robinhood Financial.Â
Robinhood declined to comment.