Robinhood Launches Stock Tokens in EU, Plans Ethereum-Based Layer 2 for Tokenized Finance

Robinhood is making a bold leap into the future of finance. On Monday, the company announced the launch of Robinhood Stock Tokens, giving its European Union customers access to more than 200 U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), including giants like Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft. These tokens will be tradable with zero commission and nearly round-the-clock 24/5 access — a sharp departure from traditional stock market hours.

Robinhood Stock Tokens: Democratizing U.S. Equities

Built on the Arbitrum layer-2 blockchain, the tokenized equities give EU-based investors low-friction access to U.S. assets. The tokens mimic the performance and dividends of their real-world counterparts, offering exposure without going through traditional brokerage infrastructure.

Robinhood said the stock tokens will eventually migrate to its own Ethereum-based Layer 2 network, which is currently under development. The new blockchain, based on Arbitrum’s tech stack, will be designed to optimize real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, offering:

• 24/7 trading
• Self-custody
• Cross-chain bridging
• Institution-grade infrastructure

The long-term goal, according to Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, is to make crypto the backbone of the global financial system by giving users tools to access both digital and traditional assets in a seamless, decentralized environment.

Expanding Product Suite and Global Reach

In addition to tokenized stocks, Robinhood rolled out several other offerings as part of its expanded global crypto push:

• Crypto perpetual futures for EU users, with up to 3x leverage
• Crypto staking for U.S. users, starting with Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL)
• AI-powered investing assistant, branded Cortex, for personalized investment insights
• Smart exchange routing to enhance trade execution and reduce slippage

These developments expand Robinhood’s user base to over 400 million people across 30 EU and EEA countries, solidifying its position as a major player in both traditional and decentralized finance (DeFi).

Market Reaction: Robinhood Stock Surges

The market cheered the announcement:

• Robinhood shares (HOOD) surged 12.7% on Monday to an all-time high of $94.24, closing at $93.63, with after-hours trading pushing the price to $96.55
• The company now holds a market valuation of $82.63 billion
• HOOD stock has risen 310.84% year-to-date, far surpassing its IPO price of $38

The launch also triggered a rally in Arbitrum’s native token (ARB), which jumped over 20% on early rumors and settled around $0.34 following confirmation of the Robinhood partnership.

A New Era for Tokenized Finance

Robinhood’s strategic shift aligns with a growing trend toward tokenization of real-world assets, as major financial players look to blockchain to streamline ownership, settlement, and access.

By building its own Ethereum Layer 2 network and offering tokenized stocks with high availability and low fees, Robinhood is positioning itself as a bridge between traditional financial markets and decentralized infrastructure — potentially challenging both legacy institutions and crypto-native platforms.

“This is just the beginning,” said CEO Vlad Tenev. “We’re building the future of finance — one that is open, global, and powered by blockchain.”

July 2025, Cryptoniteuae