Robinhood CEO Tenev: Tokenization Still Early, On-Chain Equity Volume Hits $9B

Robinhood currently offers 24/5 trading via traditional infrastructure and is working toward a 24/7 model. Tenev said blockchain networks can support round-the-clock trading and fractional ownership without relying on multiple platforms.

“24/7 trading is not only about capturing opportunities; it is about risk management as well,” Tenev said. He added that tokenization could improve asset portability across financial platforms and decentralized finance applications. Self-custody would give investors more control, he said, while tokenized assets could also be lent or used as collateral.

Tenev acknowledged that while the technology is advancing, U.S. securities rules still lag. He said regulators should modernize the framework, which was built around financial infrastructure over a century old, without sacrificing investor protections.

Robinhood sees potential for tokenization in less liquid assets, particularly private company stocks. Tenev noted that accredited investor rules limit broad access to private-company shares, but the infrastructure could expand to cover them over time. Public equities, he said, remain the foundation of the current push into tokenization.

The $9 billion on-chain volume comes as several large brokers, including Bybit, have added tokenized stocks, pushing total assets in the sector past $1.48 billion, as AlphaScala previously reported.