How to Sell Cryptocurrency on Robinhood
The basic steps to sell crypto on Robinhood
To sell cryptocurrency on Robinhood, open the app or website, find the coin you own in your portfolio, tap or click it, and select the sell option. Enter the amount you want to sell (in dollars or number of coins), review the price, and confirm the transaction. The sale completes immediately during market hours, and the cash lands in your Robinhood account within seconds.
Robinhood charges no commission on crypto sales, but the price you see includes a spread — the difference between what buyers will pay and what sellers will accept. This spread varies by coin and market conditions. Once your sale settles, you can transfer the cash to your linked bank account, use it to buy other investments, or leave it in your account.
Key Takeaways
- Selling crypto on Robinhood takes three steps: find your coin, select sell, and confirm the transaction amount.
- Robinhood charges no commission on crypto trades, but includes a spread in the price you see.
- Cash from a sale appears in your Robinhood account immediately, and you can transfer it to your bank account the same day.
- You can sell a full coin or a fractional amount, down to very small decimal places depending on the coin.
- Robinhood does not hold your crypto in a separate wallet — it holds it for you, so you cannot transfer coins to another exchange or wallet.
Where to find your crypto holdings in the app
Open Robinhood and tap the Account icon at the bottom right (on mobile) or click your profile in the top right (on web). Select Investing, then Crypto. You will see a list of every cryptocurrency you own, with the current price and your total value in each coin. Tap or click the coin you want to sell.
If you do not see a coin you think you own, search for it using the search bar at the top of the Crypto tab. Robinhood offers roughly 20 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Litecoin. If the coin you own is not listed, you may have bought it on a different platform.
Entering the sale amount and reviewing the price
After you tap the coin, you will see two buttons: Buy and Sell. Tap Sell. A screen will appear asking how much you want to sell. You can enter a dollar amount or a number of coins. If you enter $500, Robinhood will sell enough coins to reach that dollar value. If you enter 0.5 Bitcoin, it will sell exactly that amount.
Below the amount field, Robinhood shows the price per coin and the total you will receive. This price includes the spread. Review it carefully — crypto prices move constantly, and the price shown may shift slightly by the time you confirm. Tap Review Order to see the final details before you commit.
Confirming the sale and receiving your cash
On the Review Order screen, you will see the coin amount, the price per coin, the total cash you will receive, and any fees (usually none for crypto sales). If everything looks correct, tap Confirm. The sale executes immediately during market hours (Robinhood trades crypto 24/7, but prices may move faster during peak times).
The cash appears in your Robinhood account balance right away. You do not have to wait for settlement. From there, you can transfer it to your linked bank account, buy other stocks or crypto, or leave it sitting in your account. Bank transfers usually take one to three business days, depending on your bank.
Understanding spreads and why your sale price differs from the market price
When you sell crypto on Robinhood, the price you see is not the same as the price on a major exchange like Coinbase or Kraken. Robinhood adds a spread — a markup or markdown that is their revenue on the trade. The spread varies by coin and market conditions. Bitcoin and Ethereum typically have smaller spreads (often under 1 percent), while smaller coins may have spreads of 1 to 2 percent or more.
You cannot see the exact spread Robinhood is taking, but you can compare the price Robinhood shows to the price on a free tracking site like CoinMarketCap or CoinGecko to get a sense of it. This is why selling on Robinhood costs more in hidden fees than selling on a dedicated crypto exchange — you pay the spread whether you see it labeled as a fee or not.
Selling fractional coins and partial holdings
Robinhood lets you sell any amount of a coin, including fractions. If you own 0.25 Bitcoin, you can sell 0.1 Bitcoin and keep 0.15. You can also sell down to very small decimal places — for example, 0.00001 Bitcoin — though the exact minimum varies by coin. This flexibility means you do not have to sell your entire position if you only want to cash out part of it.
When you enter a dollar amount instead of a coin amount, Robinhood automatically calculates the fraction for you. If Bitcoin is at $40,000 and you want to sell $5,000 worth, Robinhood will sell 0.125 Bitcoin. This is useful if you think in dollars rather than coin quantities.
What happens to your cash after the sale
After you sell, the cash sits in your Robinhood account as buying power. You can use it immediately to buy stocks, options, or other crypto without waiting for a bank transfer. If you want the money in your actual bank account, go to Account, then Transfers, and select Transfer to Your Bank. Choose the amount and your linked bank account, and Robinhood will send it. Most transfers arrive within one to three business days.
Robinhood does not charge a fee to transfer cash out. However, if you use Robinhood Gold (a paid subscription), you get slightly faster transfers and other features. For most people, the free transfer is sufficient.
Tax reporting and what records to keep
When you sell crypto, you may owe capital gains tax on the profit. If you bought Bitcoin at $30,000 and sold it at $40,000, the $10,000 gain is taxable. Robinhood tracks your trades and provides a tax report (Form 8949) at the end of the year, which you can download from your Account settings under Tax Documents.
Keep your own records of every sale: the date, the amount sold, the price per coin, and the total proceeds. If you sold at a loss, you can use that loss to offset other gains. The IRS treats crypto as property, not currency, so the rules are the same as selling stocks. If you are unsure how to report your sales, consider talking to a tax professional who handles crypto.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell crypto on Robinhood if the market is closed?
Yes. Robinhood trades crypto 24/7, including weekends and holidays. The price may move faster during off-hours because fewer traders are active, but you can still sell anytime. Stock markets close, but crypto markets never do.
What if I change my mind after I confirm a sale?
Once you confirm a sale, it is final and cannot be undone. The transaction executes immediately. If you want to buy the crypto back, you have to place a new buy order at the current price, which may be higher or lower than what you just sold it for.
Do I have to pay taxes on crypto I sell at a loss?
No, you do not owe tax on a loss. In fact, you can use losses to offset gains from other investments. If you sold crypto for less than you paid, keep the records — you may be able to deduct the loss on your tax return.
Can I transfer my crypto off Robinhood to another wallet or exchange?
No. Robinhood holds your crypto in their custody, and you cannot withdraw it to an external wallet or exchange. If you want to move your coins elsewhere, you must sell them on Robinhood and then buy them again on a different platform. This creates a taxable event, so plan accordingly.
Why is the price I see on Robinhood different from the price on other sites?
Robinhood includes a spread in the price, which is how they make money on trades. The spread is the difference between the buy and sell prices. Larger exchanges like Coinbase and Kraken may show different prices too, because crypto prices vary slightly across platforms depending on supply and demand at that moment.