Robinhood has launched tokenized stock and ETF trading for European Union and EEA users, enabling 24/5 access to over 200 U.S. equities including Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, OpenAI, and SpaceX. Announced at the "To Catch a Token" event in Cannes on June 30, the service operates commission-free with a 0.1% foreign exchange fee.
The platform leverages Arbitrum as its initial Ethereum Layer-2 infrastructure, utilizing its low fees and speed for token issuance. Robinhood has already minted thousands of tokens on Arbitrum, including 2,309 OpenAI share tokens, as part of a technical pilot. CEO Vlad Tenev emphasized the network's "military-grade security" requirements, stating: "It has to be secure, fast, low cost... we’re excited to bring that to market."
Token holders gain economic exposure to underlying assets (including dividends) without voting rights, while Robinhood maintains custody of actual shares. The company plans to migrate to its proprietary Layer-2 blockchain by late 2025 or early 2026, deepening its DeFi integration. This initiative boosted Robinhood's stock by 12% on announcement day and 150% YTD in 2025, with analysts from KeyBanc, Deutsche Bank, and Mizuho labeling it a "must-own" convergence play.
The roadmap includes perpetual futures, staking services, and AI trading tools, positioning Robinhood as a leader in tokenized real-world assets. Regulatory focus remains on European markets, avoiding U.S. equities tokenization for now.