GameStop, Crypto & Market Forecasts Ignite Unstoppable Retail Trading Frenzy
Main Street investors are rewriting the rulebook—again.
The Retail Revolution Rages On
GameStop's ghost still haunts Wall Street boardrooms as retail traders double down on meme stocks, crypto assets, and bold market predictions. They're not just dipping toes anymore—they're diving headfirst into volatile waters that traditional institutions once claimed as exclusive territory.
Crypto's Unstoppable Ascent
Digital assets continue stealing the spotlight while legacy finance scrambles to keep up. Bitcoin's recent surge past previous resistance levels has traders eyeing new highs, with altcoins riding the momentum wave. The decentralized revolution isn't coming—it's already here, and it's wearing sneakers instead of wingtips.
Forecasting the Unforecastable
Social media platforms have become the new trading floors, where viral predictions carry more weight than analyst reports. Retail traders are bypassing traditional research methods, trusting crowd-sourced DD over Wall Street recommendations. Who needs a CFA when you've got a trending hashtag?
Wall Street's watching from the sidelines—probably while charging you commission fees for the privilege.
Retail investors show post-pandemic behavior changes
According to a report for investor behaviors in 2025 by J.P. Morgan Chase, between 2023 and 2025, retail investors returned to activity not seen since the post-pandemic market.
Analysts noted in the past months, retail investors became an even more formidable force. In 2025, retail investors emerged as a heavyweight factor on the market, going beyond the meme stock episodes in earlier years.
“Retail is more of a force in this space,” said Steven Quirk, chief brokerage officer of Robinhood Markets Inc. “I do not see that changing,” he said.
Retail investors account for up to 20.9% of US equity trading volume, based on Bloomberg data, up from 18.5% for the same period last year. Institutions make up 30.2% of the market volume, but the gap is quickly closing.
Retail traders use more sophisticated strategies
Retail traders have shown a shift to derivative markets. The trend followed the expansion of new products in crypto space, as traders gained more experience of risk. Instead of all-in bets, retail traders are also participating on options markets, as trading conditions remain uncertain.
Individual investors made up to 29.3% of options volume in the past quarter. Retail moved in to create options trading records in 2025, while over 50% of the S&P500 options volume was due to retail.
Retail investors also resorted to a risky FORM of trading zero-day options, which are essentially a short-term prediction on the index movement. CBOE noted zero-day options are growing in popularity among retail investors. That behavior coincides with an inflow of users to prediction platforms, offering even easier access and gamified trading.
Trader profile pressures are also reshaping the market. The shift to a 24-hour trading means up to 9% of equity market trades take place outside official opening hours, up from just 1% in 2019. Overseas interest and free-time investing, along with the lessons of crypto trading with no closing hours is already affecting the equity market, as traders require the same flexibility.
Retail has also flowed into other types of investment, including the high-profile IPO market. They also caused dramatic spikes in stock trading for newcomers like Figma Inc. and Circle Internet Group Inc. The new wave of IPOs also appeal to younger investors, more aware of the companies’ mix of value and to a degree, their meme potential.
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