ARK Invest Diversifies Portfolio Amid Market Sell-Off, Buys Bullish and Robinhood Shares

ARK Invest has purchased $21M worth of Bullish shares and $16M worth of Robinhood shares amid a broad sell-off in the sector. The firm's flagship ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) acquired the shares despite crypto-exposed equities being in the red, with Coinbase down 5.82% and Galaxy Digital off 10.06%. The buyback comes as the firm dumped multiple batches of Robinhood shares last year to comply with Rule 12d3-1.

ARK Invest has extended its buying spree in the crypto sector, acquiring $21 million worth of Bullish shares and $16 million of Robinhood shares despite a broad sell-off. The firm's flagship ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) made these purchases on August 19, 2025, despite a decline in crypto-exposed equities.

ARK Invest added 356,346 shares of Bullish, valued at $21.2 million, and 150,908 shares of Robinhood Markets, worth $16.2 million [1]. These purchases follow a series of buys in Bullish, including a significant acquisition of 2.53 million shares worth $172 million across three ETFs on the day of Bullish's debut on the New York Stock Exchange [1].

The buyback comes as the firm dumped multiple batches of Robinhood shares last year to comply with Rule 12d3-1, which bars ETFs from holding more than 5% of their assets in securities tied to registered brokers or advisers [1].

Both Bullish and Robinhood stocks sank on Tuesday. Bullish closed down 6.09% at $59.51 and slid another 3.24% in after-hours trading, while Robinhood fell 6.54% to $107.50 and shed an additional 1.23% post-market [1]. The sell-off wasn’t isolated. Crypto-exposed equities were broadly in the red, with Coinbase down 5.82%, Galaxy Digital off 10.06%, Strategy dropping 7.43%, and Circle slipping 4.49%. The Nasdaq Composite also fell 1.46%, signaling wider market jitters [1].

Investors pulled back from crypto stocks after their boost last week amid rate-cut optimism. Attention now shifts to the US Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole symposium, where hints of dovish policy from Chair Jerome Powell could trigger a rebound [1].

ARK Invest's continued investment in Bullish and Robinhood indicates a strong belief in the potential of these companies in the crypto sector. The firm's strategy of doubling down on crypto-linked equities, even during a sector-wide sell-off, suggests a long-term bullish outlook on the crypto market [2].

References:
[1] https://cointelegraph.com/news/ark-invest-buys-21m-bullish-16m-robinhood
[2] https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2025/08/20/ark-invest-buys-usd21-2m-of-bullish-shares-and-usd16-2m-robinhood-shares