TL;DR

• Robinhood has launched tokenized versions of U.S. stocks and ETFs for EU users on Arbitrum, allowing near round‑the‑clock trading.
• The company is also building its own Arbitrum‑based layer‑2 blockchain to support tokenized assets, self‑custody, cross‑chain bridging, and likely a late‑2025/early‑2026 launch.
• Robinhood plans to add tokenized private equity starting with OpenAI and SpaceX and aims to fully bring its ecosystem on‑chain.

Robinhood is stepping deeper into crypto with the rollout of tokenized U.S. equities and ETFs on Arbitrum, targeted first at European users. More than 200 U.S. stocks and ETFs are now available for digital trading around the clock during market weekdays.

These tokenized assets, digital tokens that represent shares mirror the value of real stocks. Users can trade them continuously, without ever needing a traditional brokerage account. And Robinhood has bigger plans: the firm is building its own privatized layer‑2 blockchain, also based on Arbitrum, to support features like self‑custody, fast settlement, and interoperability with other chains.

The new Robinhood chain is expected to launch later this year or early next, according to sources familiar with the plan.

Adding Private-Tokens Next

Even more ambitious is Robinhood’s plan to expand from public stocks into tokenized private-equity assets. The company confirmed that tokenized shares of OpenAI and SpaceX will be available, marking a first in tokenized private offerings.

Robinhood’s CEO, Vlad Tenev, said at the event in Cannes, France, that the firm intends to "work with regulators" and transition its entire platform to on‑chain infrastructure. The move signals a shift toward unifying traditional and digital finance.

A New Kind of Trading Hub

Robinhood’s strategy to support tokenized public and private assets places it in direct competition with crypto-native exchanges. By enabling around‑the‑clock trading and enabling users to hold or bridge tokens themselves, Robinhood aims to combine traditional markets’ trust with crypto's flexibility and efficiency.

For EU retail users, this offers accessible entry into U.S. equities that might otherwise be restricted by geography or account limitations.

Final Thought

Robinhood’s move reflects a broader trend: the fusion of traditional finance with blockchain capabilities is accelerating. Tokenized assets offer a new layer of access, 24/7 markets, self-custody, and global reach. If executed smoothly, this could reshape investment access and challenge the separation between brokers and crypto exchanges.