Robinhood has unveiled a significant expansion of its crypto and investment offerings, particularly focusing on broadening its reach across the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA), alongside introducing innovative financial tools. These developments, announced at the 'Robinhood Presents: To Catch a Token' event in Cannes, France, mark a pivotal step toward making investing more accessible and crypto a backbone of the global financial system, according to Robinhood Chairman and CEO Vlad Tenev.

A major highlight is the launch of US stock and ETF tokens for eligible EU customers, branded as 'Robinhood Stock Tokens'. These tokens provide exposure to US equities with zero commissions or added spreads from Robinhood, include dividend support, and offer 24/5 access. This transition transforms Robinhood's European app from a crypto-only platform into a comprehensive investment app powered by crypto, offering access to over 200 US stock and ETF tokens. Initially, these tokens will be issued on the Arbitrum Layer 2 (L2) platform. In a significant strategic move, Robinhood also announced the development of its own Layer 2 blockchain, based on Arbitrum, which will eventually facilitate tokenized stocks. This proprietary blockchain is being optimized for tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) and designed to support 24/7 trading, seamless bridging, and self-custody.

Further enhancing its derivative offerings, Robinhood is introducing crypto perpetual futures in the EU, allowing eligible customers access to a new class of derivatives with continuous exposure and up to 3x leverage. This feature is expected to be fully rolled out by the end of summer 2025, with orders routed through Bitstamp’s perpetual futures exchange. This initiative follows Robinhood's recent acquisition of crypto exchange Bitstamp for $200 million, which secured over 50 licenses and registrations worldwide, strengthening its global footprint.

Crypto staking is also being expanded, launching for eligible US customers, starting with Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL). This allows users to participate in blockchain ecosystems and earn competitive reward rates by contributing to network operations, a feature already available to all Robinhood customers in the EU and EEA. Robinhood's commitment to user-friendliness is evident in its intuitive interface designed to simplify complex trading processes, as noted by Johann Kerbrat, GM and SVP of Robinhood Crypto, who emphasized the goal of making crypto accessible to a broader audience.

Beyond these core offerings, Robinhood has rolled out a suite of additional products and features. These include an 'Instant Boost on Crypto Deposits', offering US and EU investors a 1% deposit boost (with a chance to double to 2% if total deposits hit a $500 million goal). US customers with the Robinhood Gold Credit Card will soon be able to automatically convert cash back rewards into crypto. The AI-powered investing assistant, 'Cortex for Crypto', will be available later this year for US Robinhood Gold members, providing curated insights and market analysis. Other enhancements include 'Smart Exchange Routing' for best price execution, the ability for US customers to view and sell specific 'Tax Lots' for crypto trades, and 'Advanced Charts' coming to mobile, starting with equities and expanding to crypto by August.

Robinhood's journey in cryptocurrency trading began in 2018, and its strategic acquisitions, including WonderFi for $179 million, have significantly expanded its presence. The company's vision, rooted in democratizing access to financial markets, continues to drive its product development, delivering unprecedented value and tools designed for a new generation of investors worldwide.