Robinhood Chain Launches for Real-World Assets

Robinhood Markets launched the mainnet of Robinhood Chain, a Layer 2 blockchain built for real-world assets. The chain uses Arbitrum technology. It integrates with Alchemy and BitGo. Chainlink provides oracle services, the company said in a July 1 press release.

The blockchain is designed to tokenize assets like stocks and commodities. Robinhood also introduced Stock Tokens for 24/7 trading on Robinhood Wallet in 120 countries. The company rolled out Robinhood Earn for US users to lend USDG. Perpetual futures are now accessible on the Lighter decentralized exchange within Robinhood Wallet.

Johann Kerbrat, senior vice president and general manager of crypto and international at Robinhood, said in the release that decentralized finance unlocks possibilities beyond traditional finance but has required technical expertise.

The expansion enters new markets. Robinhood is now available in Canada. Singapore’s regulator granted a capital markets services license. The company plans to launch crypto services in the UK soon.

Real-world asset tokenization has attracted many entrants but few have achieved significant scale. Previous platforms struggled with liquidity and user adoption. Robinhood’s retail user base may not be enough to sustain the network without institutional involvement.

Robinhood (HOOD) carries an Alpha Score of 44, reflecting mixed signals. The blockchain adds a growth avenue but also execution risk. The company has not disclosed developer incentives or liquidity programs for the chain.

The success of Robinhood Chain will depend on developer activity and regulatory signals from Canada and the UK. Institutional adoption remains unproven in the tokenization space.