Robinhood’s push into real-world assets (RWAs) is gaining momentum, with the digital brokerage launching a tokenization-focused layer-2 blockchain and introducing stock token trading for users in the European Union.
Built on Arbitrum, the new layer-2 network will enable the issuance of over 200 US stock and exchange-traded fund (ETF) tokens, giving European investors access to US assets, Robinhood announced on Monday.
Robinhood’s stock tokens will have zero commissions and be available for trading 24 hours a day, five days a week.
The company also announced the launch of perpetual futures in the EU, giving eligible traders access to derivatives with up to three times leverage. These trades will be routed through Bitstamp, the crypto exchange Robinhood recently acquired for $200 million.
Robinhood isn’t the first exchange to offer tokenized shares to European investors. As Cointelegraph reported, Gemini has already begun offering a tokenized version of Strategy (MSTR) stock, giving investors exposure to the Bitcoin-focused company.
Robinhood’s crypto push intensifies
Robinhood unveiled its new tokenization initiative days after launching micro futures contracts for Bitcoin (BTC), XRP (XRP), and Solana (SOL), allowing traders to access derivatives markets with significantly lower capital requirements.
In May, the exchange acquired Canadian crypto operator WonderFi in a $179 million deal.
The company has also been advocating for sensible tokenization legislation in the United States, having submitted a proposal to the Securities and Exchange Commission to establish a national framework for RWAs.
Robinhood’s proposal includes plans to launch the Real World Asset Exchange, a platform designed for offchain trading with onchain settlement.
The RWA market has grown significantly over the past year, eclipsing $24 billion as of June, according to a recent RedStone report. However, much of its growth has been driven by private credit and US Treasury debt, with tokenized stocks accounting for less than $400 million.
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