Emre Yumlu 
U.S.-based fintech giant Robinhood Markets has taken a significant step forward in its blockchain strategy. The company’s newly launched public testnet for Robinhood Chain generated four million transactions within its first week, signaling strong early engagement from developers and the broader crypto ecosystem.
The milestone was shared by CEO Vlad Tenev, highlighting what appears to be substantial initial traction for the firm’s Layer 2 initiative.
A Layer 2 Built for Tokenized Finance
Robinhood Chain is designed as an Ethereum Layer 2 network built on Arbitrum, leveraging the scalability and cost-efficiency benefits associated with rollup-based infrastructure. Operating within the Ethereum ecosystem, the network aims to support high-throughput financial applications while remaining permissionless.
Before opening to the public, the chain underwent six months of private testing. It is architected to natively support tokenized equities, ETFs, and other real-world assets (RWAs), reflecting Robinhood’s long-term commitment to bringing traditional financial instruments onchain. The infrastructure is tailored for near-instant settlement and continuous trading environments, aligning with the company’s broader push toward modernizing capital markets.
Developer Activity and Strategic Direction
According to Tenev, developers have already begun building applications focused on tokenized RWAs and onchain financial services. The rapid accumulation of transactions during the first week suggests meaningful experimentation and early-stage adoption across the developer community.
To strengthen the ecosystem, Robinhood has integrated several established Web3 infrastructure providers, including Alchemy, LayerZero, and Chainlink. These partnerships are expected to enhance interoperability, data reliability, and developer tooling across the network.
Despite a 38% year-over-year decline in crypto transaction revenue to $221 million in the fourth quarter of last year, Robinhood continues to expand its tokenization roadmap. The company has announced plans to extend its tokenized stock offerings with features such as 24/7 trading, near real-time settlement, and self-custody capabilities.
While a specific launch date has not yet been disclosed, the mainnet debut of Robinhood Chain is anticipated later this year. The strong early performance of the testnet reinforces Robinhood’s strategic commitment to building financial infrastructure onchain.
You can also freely share your thoughts and comments about the topic in the comment section. Additionally, don’t forget to follow us on our Telegram, YouTube, and Twitter channels for the latest news and updates.