Robinhood Chain Testnet Processes 9M Transactions in Two Weeks
Robinhood's new Layer-2 blockchain, Robinhood Chain, has seen significant developer activity on its testnet, processing nearly 9 million transactions and deploying over 1 million contracts in its first two weeks. The chain is being built with native support for tokenized securities to enable 24/7 trading. Former SEC counsel Coy Garrison, now with Robinhood, noted the SEC's approach to crypto shifted from clarity to enforcement between 2019 and 2022.
The Robinhood Chain is constructed using Arbitrum's Nitro technology stack, which enables the creation of scalable and efficient decentralized applications. This architecture is based on Go Ethereum (Geth), ensuring compatibility with existing Ethereum development tools. The mainnet launch for the Robinhood Chain is anticipated later in 2026. The network is specifically designed to support tokenized real-world assets (RWAs), including stocks and ETFs, with the goal of facilitating 24/7 trading and near-real-time settlement. To bolster its capabilities, Robinhood has integrated several key infrastructure partners, such as Chainlink for oracle services, and Alchemy and LayerZero for other essential functions. The company plans to migrate its more than 2,000 existing tokenized U.S. stocks to this new network. This strategic move into blockchain infrastructure positions Robinhood to compete with existing Layer-1 and Layer-2 networks. By creating its own blockchain, Robinhood aims to have greater control over transaction throughput, fee structures, and network governance. This initiative is part of a broader expansion into cryptocurrency, which also includes the acquisition of the Bitstamp exchange to extend its global and institutional reach. Coy Garrison, who previously served as counsel to SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce from 2019 to 2022, has been a vocal advocate for clearer digital asset regulation. He has urged Congress to establish a distinct regulatory framework for digital assets to provide clarity on which assets are classified as securities. Garrison has pointed to the lack of clear statutory authority for either the SEC or the CFTC to regulate the spot trading of digital assets as a significant regulatory gap.
