SpaceX Just Pulled Off the Largest IPO Ever. Here's Why Robinhood Might Be the Real Winner.

Space Exploration Technologies (NASDAQ: SPCX) raised $85.7 billion in its initial public offering (IPO), the largest in history. Investors were agog in the run-up as SpaceX priced its IPO at $135 per share, and then began trading on June 12 at $150, closing its first day at $160.95. The stock closed June 25 at $153.

It's been a bit of a roller coaster, but this IPO was the kind of rare corporate event that could turn passive brokerage-app users back into customers who added money to their accounts and maybe started to trade, and there's an interesting story here for Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ: HOOD).

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SpaceX gave Robinhood a funding catalyst

Before the IPO, retail investors had access to SpaceX shares via five channels: Fidelity Investments, E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley, Charles Schwab, SoFi Technologies, and Robinhood.

The unusually high retail access gave investors a reason to act. Robinhood users had to request shares through an eligible account, giving even small-allocation investors a reason to fund accounts and keep checking the app. Robinhood also had a positioning advantage. Customers could invest in the SpaceX IPO through Robinhood with no minimum account size, reinforcing its pitch of not limiting major IPO access to larger investors.

Before the SpaceX IPO, Robinhood had strong momentum. The company had 27.7 million "funded customers" and $377 billion in customer assets on its platform at the end of May 2026. Customers had added a net $5.6 billion in funds on the platform in May, while stock-trading volume rose 75% year over year to $315 billion.

A chance to grow

The SpaceX IPO likely juiced Robinhood's numbers, and the benefit won't only be the cash tied to IPO orders. Robinhood's IPO Access policy states that customers can sell IPO shares at any time, but selling within 30 days is treated as "flipping" and may result in a 60-day restriction on future IPO access. This gives customers a reason to keep the shares, their account, and app relationship active for at least the first month.

Robinhood's larger opportunity is getting customers to bring more of their money to the platform. Management says that about 10% of U.S. adults have a Robinhood account, but Robinhood still holds less than 1% of U.S. retail assets.

Robinhood also has room to win a larger share of each customer's investable assets. Management says some customers keep about 25% of those assets on the platform, as Robinhood was not offering every wealth-management product they needed. However, the company's expansion into retirement, banking, credit cards, advisory referrals, futures, crypto, and AI tools could help close that gap.

SpaceX may have given Robinhood something advertising cannot easily create: a timely reason for investors to fund accounts and stay engaged. The lasting test is whether those users become long-term customers, increase net deposits, and adopt more Robinhood products.

Charles Schwab is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Manali Pradhan, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Charles Schwab and recommends the following options: short June 2026 $97.50 calls on Charles Schwab. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.