Robinhood Unveils Public Blockchain with AI-Native Tokenization Capabilities

Robinhood has launched its public blockchain, called Robinhood Chain, after four months of testing. The layer 2 network is built on Arbitrum and positions itself as 'AI-native' for tokenized real-world assets.

The mainnet launch follows the testnet rollout in February and marks a significant step in Robinhood's expansion into decentralized finance (DeFi) and tokenization. Tokenized stock products are already live in its wallet app across more than 120 countries, and the company plans to add crypto trading in the UK soon.

Additionally, Robinhood has introduced a DeFi product called Robinhood Earn, which allows users to lend USDG stablecoins from their self-custody wallet at an estimated ~7% annual yield. This marks a shift towards a model that emphasizes self-custody while providing access to yield through on-chain lending mechanics.

The launch of Robinhood Chain is part of the company's broader efforts to expand its on-chain ambitions and provide a more seamless experience for users. However, it also enters an increasingly competitive layer 2 market, where reliability has become a major differentiator.