Robinhood Expands EU Stock Tokens Access, Crypto Staking

This year, the Ethereum Community Conference (EthCC) attracted thousands of crypto enthusiasts to Cannes, France. While the conference primarily focuses on the Ethereum ecosystem, it also drew industry experts from various sectors, making it a comprehensive event for the entire crypto community.

One of the notable side events was hosted by fintech firm Robinhood, titled “To Catch a Token.” Held at the iconic Château de la Croix des Gardes, the event featured announcements about new crypto products and services. Robinhood Chairman and CEO Vlad Tenev revealed that users in the European Union can now access US stock tokens on the platform. Additionally, Robinhood Senior Director and COO Tanya Denisova announced the expansion of the platform's presence to France and several other European countries.

Other significant announcements included the rollout of crypto staking for eligible US customers, starting with Ethereum and Solana (SOL). This feature has been available to all Robinhood customers in the EU and EEA since last year. The event highlighted Robinhood's ambition to dominate the crypto sector, with a customer base of about 26 million in the US and expectations of similar growth in other regions. Johann Kerbrat, GM and SVP of Crypto at Robinhood, emphasized the platform's integration of blockchain solutions while maintaining a familiar user interface.

Another key side event was the “Stable House,” hosted by payments infrastructure company Borderless.xyz. This event brought together Web3 developers to discuss stablecoin innovations at a seaside villa. Tomer Weller, chief product officer at Stellar, kicked off the event by discussing real-world stablecoin use cases, including a blockchain-powered aid distribution system in Ukraine. Weller also highlighted the implementation of smart contracts on Stellar, enabling decentralized finance (DeFi) and the creation of financial instruments using stablecoins as a base layer.

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance also hosted a side event focused on crypto payments at the exclusive Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic. The event was attended by Mayor David Lisnard of Cannes, who discussed the growing acceptance of crypto payments in the region. More than 80 merchants across the French Riviera now accept stablecoin and cryptocurrency payments via Binance Pay, contributing to the city's booming tourism sector.

Throughout the conference, attendees enjoyed various crypto-themed swag items to help them stay cool during the European heat wave. Robinhood attendees received fans and hats labeled “market cap,” while the Stellar team distributed tank tops labeled “Girls Gone Stable.” Bitstamp and Mastercard provided t-shirts, and UR Coin offered flip-flops. Another unique swag item was NFT-embedded press-on nails from Chipped Social, which allowed attendees to share their contact information and social media links by tapping their nails on a smartphone.