Robinhood is making a massive leap from a traditional brokerage to a blockchain powerhouse. Johann Kerbrat, Robinhoodâs Head of Crypto, recently sat down with CoinDesk to discuss the firm's strategic pivot toward building its own Ethereum Layer-2 (L2) network on top of Arbitrum.
Here is everything you need to know about Robinhood's vision for a decentralized future. đ§”
đĄïž Why Layer-2? Itâs All About Security
While many companies dream of launching their own independent Layer-1 blockchains, Robinhood chose a different path. According to Kerbrat, the decision was driven by focus:
> "We wanted to get the security from Ethereum, the decentralization from Ethereum, and also the liquidity that is part of the EVM space."
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By building an L2 on the Arbitrum stack, Robinhood doesn't have to "reinvent the wheel" regarding security. Instead, they can focus on what they do best: building user-facing features.
đ Tokenized Stocks: The Future of RWA
The new L2 isn't just a technical experimentâitâs the engine for Robinhoodâs Real-World Asset (RWA) ambitions.
* Massive Scale: Robinhood has already expanded its tokenized stock offerings in the EU from 200 to over 2,000 assets.
* 24/5 Trading: Users can trade digital versions of US stocks and ETFs around the clock, with dividends passed through to token holders.
* The Goal: Eventually, these assets will migrate from Arbitrum One to Robinhoodâs dedicated L2, allowing for seamless self-custody and 24/7 global access.
âïž Whatâs Next for the "Robinhood Chain"?
Currently, the network is running on a private testnet. While a public launch date hasn't been set, the integration with Arbitrum means that when the "switch" is flipped, the migration for existing users will be virtually instant.
đĄ Key Takeaways for the Binance Community:
* Ethereum Dominance: Even major TradFi players are choosing Ethereumâs ecosystem for its proven security and liquidity.
* L2 Wars: The competition among L2s (Base, Arbitrum, etc.) is heating up as they become the "backend" for global finance.
* RWA is King: Tokenizing traditional finance is no longer a "maybe"âitâs happening now.
What do you think? Will Robinhoodâs L2 become the go-to platform for retail investors to hold tokenized stocks? Letâs discuss below! đ
#Robinhood #Ethereum #Layer2 #Arbitrum #RWA #CryptoNews
