On Monday, Robinhood announced the launch of tokens enabling its customers in the European Union to trade over 200 U. S. stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), including popular names like Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft. At the core of this initiative are Robinhood Stock Tokens, offering EU customers commission-free access to U. S. equities with trading available 24 hours a day, five days a week, alongside dividend support. These tokens are built on Arbitrum, a layer-2 network, which facilitates the issuance of more than 200 U. S. stock and ETF tokens, thereby granting European investors access to American assets. Initially launched on Arbitrum, these tokenized stocks will eventually migrate to Robinhood’s proprietary Layer 2 blockchain currently under development, according to the company’s statement. Additionally, Robinhood revealed plans for its own Ethereum-based Layer 2 blockchain optimized for tokenized real-world assets.

This new chain, based on Arbitrum technology, aims to enable continuous 24/7 trading, self-custody, and cross-chain bridging of tokenized assets. This innovation positions Robinhood to directly compete with traditional financial infrastructure by facilitating trading outside regular market hours. Other product introductions include crypto perpetual futures offering up to 3x leverage for EU customers, crypto staking for U. S. users starting with Ethereum and Solana, plus several upgrades such as an AI-driven investing assistant named Cortex and smart exchange routing features. CEO Vlad Tenev described these initiatives as fundamental steps toward making crypto "the backbone of the global financial system, " extending Robinhood’s reach to over 400 million users across 30 countries in the EU and EEA. Stock Price Surge This announcement triggered a considerable market response. Robinhood shares (Nasdaq: HOOD) surged 12. 7% to a record peak of $94. 24 on Monday before closing at $93. 63, with after-hours trading hitting $96. 55. By Monday’s close, Robinhood’s market valuation stood at $82. 63 billion, with its shares more than doubling in value this year and trading significantly above the $38 IPO price. The stock has shown remarkable momentum throughout 2025, climbing 310. 84% since the start of the year. The collaboration with Arbitrum also positively impacted that blockchain’s native token, with ARB jumping over 20% on speculation ahead of the official announcement, settling near $0. 34. This launch marks Robinhood’s most ambitious venture yet into crypto infrastructure, potentially establishing the firm as a bridge between traditional finance and decentralized systems while capitalizing on the growing trend of asset tokenization in financial markets.