Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest Scoops Up $37M in Bullish and Robinhood: A Bold Bet on Crypto’s Future?

Cathie Wood’s Ark Invest has continued its aggressive push into crypto-related equities, scooping up $21.2 million in Bullish shares and $16.2 million in Robinhood stock on August 19, 2025.

The purchases, made through the firm’s flagship ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK), highlight Ark’s conviction in digital asset infrastructure even as broader crypto stocks tumbled.

According to Ark’s latest filing, the fund acquired 356,346 shares of Bullish and 150,908 shares of Robinhood.

This marks the third consecutive trading day Ark boosted its Robinhood position, following earlier buys of $14 million on Monday and $9 million last Friday. The moves expand Ark’s exposure to platforms shaping the future of trading and digital finance.

Bullish and Robinhood Slide Amid Market Sell-Off

Despite Ark’s heavy buying, both stocks ended sharply lower on the day. Bullish dropped 6.09% to $59.51, slipping an additional 3.24% in after-hours trading, while Robinhood fell 6.54% to $107.50 and lost another 1.23% post-market.

The sell-off wasn’t isolated. Other crypto-linked equities also suffered, with Coinbase down 5.82%, Galaxy Digital plunging 10.06%, Strategy sliding 7.43%, and Circle off 4.49%.

The Nasdaq Composite fell 1.46% as investors pulled back ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole symposium, where policy signals are expected to shape market sentiment.

Ark’s latest move builds on a $172 million allocation to Bullish last week, when the Cayman Islands-based exchange made its highly anticipated debut on the New York Stock Exchange.

With Ark now holding more than 1.1 million Bullish shares valued at roughly $73.85 million, the firm is betting big on the platform’s role in the evolution of crypto markets.

Similarly, Robinhood has become one of Ark’s most consistent crypto-adjacent holdings. The recent spree increases its share of ARKK’s portfolio to over 4%, highlighting Ark’s belief in the platform’s long-term potential despite short-term volatility.

Wood’s investment strategy mirrors confidence in crypto’s ongoing institutional adoption, as firms like Gemini, OKX, and Kraken explore IPOs. Ark also maintains significant positions in Circle and Coinbase, further engraving its role as one of Wall Street’s most vocal champions of digital assets.

As volatility shakes out weaker hands, Ark’s contrarian bets may position it to capitalize if crypto markets rebound, raising the question: is this a bold gamble, or a long game in the market?

Cover image from ChatGPT, TotalCrypto chart from Tradingview