Robinhood Unveils Tokenized Stocks for Private Companies in EU

Robinhood, a prominent retail brokerage, made a significant announcement at the Ethereum Community Conference (ETHCC) in Cannes, France. The company unveiled its plans to evolve into a next-generation financial super app with blockchain technology at its core. This transformation includes the launch of tokenized stocks for private companies such as SpaceX and OpenAI, initially available to eligible customers in the European Union. These digital assets are issued on Arbitrum, a layer-2 Ethereum scaling solution known for its speed and low fees. Over time, Robinhood intends to migrate its offerings to a proprietary blockchain currently under development.

Vlad Tenev, Robinhood’s CEO, highlighted the company’s move into tokenization as a means to provide 24/5 access to over 200 U.S. stocks and ETFs with no commissions, no added spreads, dividend support, and crypto wallet compatibility. This initiative marks a broader integration between traditional finance and decentralized finance (DeFi). Additionally, tokenized shares of select privately held companies, including OpenAI and SpaceX, will be made available to eligible EU customers later this summer, expanding access to high-profile, previously inaccessible private equity.

The timing of this announcement is strategic, as Robinhood recently secured new licenses in Europe. This move underscores the company’s ambitions to expand globally and deepen its footprint in the blockchain space. The regulatory contrast between regions is notable, with U.S. customers gaining access to crypto staking, while European users unlock access to tokenized public and private equities. This positions the EU as the first major market to experience tokenized real-world assets at scale through a consumer-facing platform.

For OpenAI, this development is particularly significant as it marks the first time equity exposure to the company is being offered in tokenized form to retail users, making an elite investment opportunity available to a broader population. This move by Robinhood reflects investor confidence in the company’s strategic pivot and the market’s enthusiasm for bringing high-value assets on-chain.

Robinhood’s approach to tokenization differs from that of Republic, another company in the space. Republic issues equity-backed Digital Asset Receipts (DARTs), representing true on-chain ownership of shares held in trusts or SPVs. In contrast, Robinhood’s offering appears to be more like synthetic exposure or broker-held tokens, granting economic participation without conferring legal shareholder status. While the infrastructural models differ, both companies share the goal of unlocking elite investment opportunities via blockchain.

Beyond tokenized equities, Robinhood is building out a broader crypto ecosystem. Following the completion of the Bitstamp acquisition, EU users will soon gain access to perpetual futures with up to 3x leverage. In the U.S., Robinhood has introduced crypto staking for Ethereum and Solana, aligning with regulatory guidance. Additional user incentives include a 1–2% bonus on transferred crypto deposits, upcoming cashback-to-crypto conversion via the Robinhood Gold credit card, and advanced tax-lot selection tools.

Robinhood’s move into tokenized finance is a significant turning point for the company and the industry. Major financial players like BlackRock and Goldman Sachs are exploring similar blockchain models, but Robinhood is delivering real-world asset tokenization directly to mainstream retail users. With licenses secured and a product roadmap underway, Robinhood is racing against competitors like Coinbase, Kraken, and Republic to define how users experience tokenized finance.

Robinhood’s long-term vision extends beyond tokenized stocks. The company is developing features like an AI-driven investing assistant (Cortex), smart order routing across liquidity pools, advanced mobile charting, and a full-fledged Ethereum-compatible Layer-2 optimized for real-world asset tokenization. This next-gen blockchain infrastructure is designed for 24/7 trading, cross-chain asset bridging, and self-custody, redefining retail access in the age of TradFi meets DeFi.

By bringing tokenized private equity like OpenAI into its mobile app, layering in staking and perpetual futures, and building blockchain infrastructure, Robinhood is staking a claim as a frontrunner in the financial super app space. As tokenized investing becomes a tangible reality for millions, the lines between centralized brokerages and decentralized protocols are blurring, setting a high bar for the next generation of financial platforms.