Robinhood Launches Tokenized Stock Trading in Europe as Shares Surge to Record High

• Robinhood launched Stock Tokens in the EU, offering over 200 tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs, including Apple, Microsoft, and OpenAI.
• The service runs on Arbitrum L2, but Robinhood plans to launch its own customizable blockchain optimized for RWA tokenization.

Robinhood has launched a tokenized trading service for U.S. stocks and ETFs in the European Union, enabling users to trade “Stock Tokens”, digital representations of equities like Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft, 24 hours a day, five business days a week.

The announcement, made on June 30 during an event in France and on the company’s official website, coincided with a 12% surge in Robinhood’s stock price, hitting a new record high.

Stock Tokens cover over 200 assets, including ETFs linked to the S&P 500 and unlisted stocks like OpenAI and SpaceX. Due to associated risks, access is limited to eligible users. The service also introduces a dividend distribution system for token holders, positioning Robinhood’s European crypto app as a comprehensive investment platform.

“Cryptocurrencies were developed by engineers for engineers and were inaccessible to many people,” said Johan Kelbra, senior vice president of Robinhood Crypto.

“We aim to make cryptocurrency accessible to everyone around the world by integrating multiple robust tools into one intuitive platform.”

Blockchain Ambitions and Future Offerings

Robinhood has issued the tokens on Arbitrum, Ethereum’s Layer 2 blockchain, but plans to develop its own customizable L2 blockchain, an “Arbitrum Chain” optimized for real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. The company envisions 24/7, 7-day-a-week trading using this proprietary system.

In addition, Robinhood announced plans to launch perpetual cryptocurrency futures trading in the EU this summer and will offer staking services for Ethereum and Solana to qualified users in the U.S.

CEO Vladimir Tenev said the new services represent a major step toward building a future where cryptocurrencies are central to the global financial system.

Edited by Harshajit Sarmah