Robinhood launched its own Ethereum layer-2 blockchain, Robinhood Chain, on July 1, 2026, designed to handle tokenized real-world assets such as stocks and ETFs. The network, built using Arbitrum technology, aims to bridge traditional finance with decentralized finance (DeFi) by enabling developers to build applications for trading, lending, and managing tokenized assets. In its first week, Robinhood Chain recorded over 17 million transactions and more than $1 billion in decentralized exchange volume.
What is Robinhood Chain?
Robinhood Chain is an Ethereum layer-2 network that processes transactions off the main Ethereum chain to reduce fees and increase throughput. It uses ETH as its native gas token and is compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), allowing developers to use existing Ethereum tools and languages. The network relies on the Arbitrum Dedicated Blockchains framework from Offchain Labs and employs a first-come, first-served sequencing model, meaning users cannot pay extra for priority transaction ordering.
Transactions on Robinhood Chain go through a sequencer that orders them, batches them, and posts them back to Ethereum for final settlement. This design supports DeFi applications like decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and lending protocols. Uniswap is among the DEXs available, while Morpho provides lending services. Chainlink supplies price oracles, and infrastructure partners include Alchemy, BitGo, and Paxos.
Robinhood Stock Tokens
Robinhood Chain introduces Stock Tokens, blockchain-based assets that offer exposure to real-world assets such as stocks and ETFs. These tokens are not equivalent to owning actual shares—they do not confer voting rights or legal ownership. Importantly, Stock Tokens are not available to users in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland due to securities law restrictions. Robinhood states on its website that the tokens are not registered under U.S. securities laws and cannot be offered to U.S. persons.
Post-Launch Activity
After the mainnet launch, Robinhood Chain saw a surge in activity driven by traders and DeFi applications. The network recorded over 17 million transactions and nearly 350,000 addresses in its first week. Decentralized exchange volume exceeded $1 billion, while total value locked (TVL) was estimated at $250 million by internal metrics, though DefiLlama tracked core protocol TVL at roughly $94 million. Network stablecoin balances climbed past $260 million. Part of the initial hype came from the meme coin Cash Cat (CASHCAT), which surged in value and attracted traders looking to capitalize on the new network's momentum.