Robinhood has officially launched a developers’ version of its proprietary blockchain, Robinhood Chain, as announced during the Consensus event in Hong Kong on Tuesday evening. This significant development is part of the company’s broader strategy to enhance its offerings in crypto-based financial services, including the introduction of tokenized assets like stocks.
Currently operating in the testnet phase, Robinhood Chain is accessible to a limited group of partners and participants who are invited to explore its infrastructure and trial new features. Company officials noted that in the coming months, the mainnet version will be rolled out, enabling the processing of customer transactions.
Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood’s Senior Vice President of Crypto, emphasized the integration capabilities of Robinhood Chain, saying, “We now have Alchemy, LayerZero, Chainlink, and other big crypto players. But moving forward, when the mainnet is live, customers will be able to interact directly with it.” He highlighted the intention to deliver a seamless user experience, allowing customers to engage with the blockchain effortlessly, often without realizing they are utilizing it.
The underlying technology for Robinhood Chain is based on Arbitrum, a Layer 2 blockchain that enhances Ethereum’s transaction capabilities by processing them in batches, thus reducing costs and increasing efficiency. Arbitrum stands as one of the leading Layer 2 solutions in the Ethereum ecosystem, alongside Optimism, which has been adopted by Robinhood’s competitor, Coinbase, for its own Base blockchain.
This announcement coincides with Robinhood’s strategic shift towards asset tokenization, a concept that CEO Vlad Tenev likens to a “freight train” destined to transform financial markets. Tokenization allows various assets, including stocks, to be converted into digital tokens that can be traded on a blockchain akin to Ethereum.
The unveiling of Robinhood Chain also aligns with the company’s latest financial disclosure, revealing a fourth-quarter profit of $605 million for 2025, or 66 cents per share, surpassing analysts’ expectations of 63 cents. However, the earnings report highlighted weaker-than-anticipated revenue figures, causing a decline in shares during after-hours trading.
As Robinhood continues to innovate in the crypto space, the company’s blockchain initiatives and focus on tokenization are poised to enhance its competitive edge in the evolving financial landscape.
