Robinhood Mints 213 Tokenized Stocks for $5 on Arbitrum

- Mints over 200 tokenized U.S. stocks on Arbitrum. - Offers low-cost, blockchain-enabled trading to EU investors. On July 2, 2025, CoinDesk reported that Robinhood spent only $5 to mint 213 tokenized U.S. equities on the Arbitrum blockchain, leveraging efficient Layer 2 scaling technology to target European investors. This new initiative integrates cryptocurrency technology with traditional financial markets and offers over 200 tokenized stocks, including shares of Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft. By using Ethereum's Layer 2 protocol, these tokenized stocks enable faster transaction processing and significantly lower fees. The new service supports 24/5 commission-free trading; however, a 0.1% foreign exchange fee applies when users convert local currencies to U.S. dollars. While token holders can access dividend payments, they lack voting rights on the underlying assets. Robinhood limits transfers to approved wallets, reflecting its "walled garden" model, an approach that contrasts with the self-sovereign solutions offered by Kraken, Gemini, and Bybit. This centralized model positions Robinhood firmly in the tokenized asset space. Robinhood plans to transition these tokenized stocks to its proprietary Layer 2 blockchain by late 2025 or early 2026. Built on Arbitrum, this new blockchain will prioritize low-cost trading and management of tokenized real-world assets. In addition, the platform continues to expand its crypto services. For European traders, it offers perpetual futures trading with up to 3x leverage, while for U.S. users, Robinhood provides Ethereum and Solana staking, similar to its European offerings. These developments align with growing market enthusiasm for blockchain-driven financial products. Following the announcement, positive investor sentiment reportedly drove Robinhood's stock to an all-time high. CEO Vlad Tenev highlighted the offerings' transformative nature, stating they would lay the groundwork for crypto to become the backbone of the global financial system. As of 16:15 UTC on July 2, market data showed several key price changes. Ethereum (ETH) traded at $2,535.55, an increase of 4.32% over 24 hours. In the same period, Arbitrum (ARB) was priced at $0.349, a 6.19% change, and Solana (SOL) stood at $152.51, up 3.18%.