Key Takeaways
- Robinhood positioned its new chain as the backbone of a broader push into global onchain finance.
- Stock Tokens could expand around-the-clock market access, but availability depends on local rules and wallet eligibility.
- Several products are rolling out in phases, with availability varying by jurisdiction and user eligibility.
Why Robinhood Chain Became the Center of a Bigger Ownership Push
Robinhood Markets (Nasdaq: HOOD) made its new blockchain platform, Robinhood Chain, central to its global expansion at a London keynote. The company said the event marked “our most ambitious global expansion and product vision to date.” The company said the initiative is designed to bridge traditional finance and decentralized finance ( DeFi).
The company announced:
“We are officially launching the Public Mainnet of Robinhood Chain.”
The Public Mainnet is built using the Arbitrum Platform and connects to Robinhood’s on-chain users. Its partners include Uniswap and Pleiades, with integrations from Alchemy, BitGo, and Chainlink.
Robinhood said the chain supports real-world assets and DeFi functions like lending and borrowing. Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood’s senior vice president and general manager of crypto and international, said the company is combining traditional finance and DeFi.
How Stock Tokens and Lending Push Robinhood Deeper Into DeFi
Stock Tokens are available in more than 120 countries via Robinhood Wallet, with access varying by jurisdiction. Eligible users can trade them 24/7 on Robinhood Chain and use them in supported DeFi applications, including lending pools and as trading collateral.
Robinhood further announced:
“We’re starting to roll out Robinhood Earn to eligible US users, the first decentralized lending product available directly through the main Robinhood app.”
Robinhood Earn allows lending of USDG through a self-custody wallet at an estimated 7% APY. Insurance procured through Lloyd’s of London and RELM is intended to protect covered losses resulting from cyber or smart contract exploits, with lending infrastructure powered by Morpho.
Currently, the company serves nearly 28 million customers across 38 countries. It plans crypto trading in the U.K., has launched in Canada, and said Robinhood Singapore received a capital markets services license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). In Europe, commodity, ETF, and FX perpetual futures are expanding with up to 10x leverage. In the U.S., maker fees for crypto trading can drop to 0% based on volume.
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