Robinhood Launches Tokenized US Stock Trading for EU Users

Robinhood has launched tokens that will enable its customers in the European Union to trade more than 200 US stocks and ETFs.

The move gives 150,000 customers across 30 countries direct blockchain access to tokenized shares mirroring the value of leading U.S. companies such as Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft.

The commission-free tokens will be available for trading 24/5 and are being issued in partnership with blockchain firm Arbitrum.

Initially, tokenized stocks will launch on Arbitrum One via the Robinhood app, with plans to expand to a dedicated Robinhood Layer 2 blockchain built on the Orbit stack.

The tokens are fully backed by real shares held by Robinhood. While customers won’t have voting rights, they will still receive dividends and benefit from corporate actions like stock splits. Each token is a complete on-chain representation of the underlying equity.

While European investors can already access US stocks through traditional brokers, tokenized shares promise faster settlement times and greater transparency. Supporters say it’s more than just a technical tweak as it could remove the frictions that slow down global equity trading.

In addition to stock and ETF tokens, Robinhood is rolling out crypto perpetual futures in the EU. Once live, the product will give eligible users access to derivatives with up to 3x leverage.

The futures are set to be fully available by the end of summer and will offer continuous exposure to assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum, with trades executed via Bitstamp’s perpetual futures exchange.

The launch is the latest step for the fintech firm as it explores tokenization, staking, and perpetual crypto trading in a push to bridge traditional finance with blockchain technology.

The launch also positions the company to capitalize on growing global demand for US equities, particularly the tech giants driving the current AI boom.