Robinhood Unveils Arbitrum-Based Blockchain and Launches Tokenized U.S. Stocks in EU

On June 30, at Robinhood Presents: To Catch a Token in Cannes, Robinhood announced the development of Robinhood Chain, a blockchain built on the Ethereum layer-2 network Arbitrum. The company also introduced tokenized stock trading as part of its broader strategy to expand its presence in the crypto space.

The new blockchain is positioned as a core element of Robinhood’s effort to broaden its crypto capabilities. Robinhood Chain is designed to support 24/7 trading, tokenized assets, self-custody, and cross-chain bridging. In an announcement on X, the team noted that "plans for the Robinhood blockchain are in development and subject to change. Its availability will depend on applicable regulations and future launch timing." However, persons familiar with the matter said the blockchain could go live later this year or early next year.

"With tokenized stocks, our European app transitions from being a crypto-only app to an all-in-one investment app powered by crypto," the company said. Tokenized stocks and ETFs are now available to European users via Arbitrum, providing access to more than 200 U.S.-listed equities and ETFs with 24/7 weekday trading. Robinhood stated that the stock tokens will initially be issued on Arbitrum. In the future, tokenized stocks will be facilitated by Robinhood’s own Layer 2 blockchain based on Arbitrum. Currently, U.S. stock and ETF tokens are offered exclusively to EU customers by Robinhood Europe, UAB. They are not available to customers in the U.S.

Robinhood’s EU Push Materializes: Tokenized Stocks, Crypto Derivatives, and More

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev also stated during the keynote that the company plans to expand tokenized trading in U.S. stocks from 200 currently to "thousands by year-end." Starting on June 30, the company officially began offering tokenized U.S. stocks to its EU customers. On the same day, Robinhood announced that it would give away the first Private Company Stock Tokens of OpenAI and SpaceX. Eligible Robinhood EU customers can now claim their tokens in-app until July 7.

This latest announcement marks a significant milestone in a journey that Robinhood’s leadership has been publicly advocating for months.

In January 2025, Tenev stated that U.S. regulations are blocking a major financial shift that could open private-market investments to everyday investors through tokenization. He warned that without clear rules for security tokens, the U.S. risks falling behind regions like the EU, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi, which are already advancing in this space.

In a podcast in March 2025, Tenev further emphasized the issue, saying it is currently very difficult for overseas investors to invest in U.S. companies. This touches on a key pain point for many investors who closely follow U.S. stock markets but live outside the United States. They urgently need a faster, more accessible way to trade U.S. stocks.

Until recently, Robinhood’s EU customers could only trade cryptocurrencies. That changed last month when the company secured a brokerage license in Lithuania, enabling it to offer stock trading and other investment services across the EU. In addition, Robinhood signed an agreement in June 2024 to acquire cryptocurrency exchange Bitstamp. Once completed, this acquisition will allow Robinhood to offer crypto-related derivatives through Bitstamp’s MiFID Multilateral Trading Facility (MiFID) license.

Looking back, it’s clear that Robinhood has been steadily laying the groundwork for this expansion.

Robinhood Stock Hits All-Time High Following Major Announcements

Following a series of major announcements, Robinhood Markets Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOD) rallied to a new all-time high of $97.21, marking a daily gain of $10.60 or 12.77%. At the time of writing, the chart shows an additional after-hours increase of 3.82%. Year to date, the stock has surged approximately 150%.

Robinhood Unveils Arbitrum L2, Faces Comparisons to Base’s Open Strategy

Although discussions about Robinhood building an Arbitrum-based L2 had already attracted attention even before the official announcement, some in the crypto community noted similarities to Base. Coinbase’s Base, launched in late 2023, adopted an open strategy by inviting external developers to build DApps, which helped expand its ecosystem.

With Robinhood now officially announcing its Arbitrum L2, the timing has naturally drawn comparisons to Base’s earlier launch.

Instead of competing head-to-head with Base, Token Terminal suggests Robinhood could leverage its strength as an internet broker by building a closed ecosystem. This would mean moving its existing financial products, assets, and users fully on-chain, allowing direct on-chain interactions without relying on third-party apps. It’s a more crypto-native but aggressive path that may face internal resistance.

For now, the community is watching closely and looking forward to more details from Robinhood on how it plans to shape its L2 strategy.

Looking Ahead

More companies, both crypto-native and traditional, are actively entering the tokenized stock space. Exchanges like Kraken, Bybit, and Gemini have recently introduced tokenized stock products, aiming to provide 24/7 access to U.S. equities beyond traditional market hours. Looking ahead, U.S. stock tokenization is no longer a niche experiment but is rapidly becoming a competitive and growing sector. Robinhood’s recent moves further reflect this momentum, with the company focused on building a crypto-powered investment platform and strengthening its presence in Europe.