Robinhood, the financial services company behind the stock and crypto trading platform, has rolled out a blockchain network of its own called Robinhood Chain. At its core it is an Ethereum layer-2 blockchain built using Arbitrum technology, and its purpose is to bring real-world assets such as stocks and ETFs on-chain and connect them to the world of decentralized finance.
The big advantage of being a layer-2 is that it helps cut fees sharply while allowing far more transactions to be processed at once. Compared with a layer-1 network like Ethereum, it moves faster and costs less, because much of the activity happens off the main chain and settles back to it.
How Wallets and Apps Connect
Any wallet or application that supports Ethereum connections can interact with the network through JSON-RPC, the standard communication method used by Ethereum applications. That makes it straightforward for developers already building in the Ethereum ecosystem to plug in.
A First-Come, First-Served Model
Robinhood Chain runs on a first-come, first-served sequencing model. Every blockchain relies on a sequencer, which orders transactions before they are added to the chain. Here, transactions are processed based on when they arrive, rather than letting users pay higher fees to buy priority placement.
Each transaction travels through several stages. First the sequencer receives and processes it, then batches of transactions are posted back to Ethereum, and finally the transaction reaches its final settlement.
Stock Tokens and Real-World Assets
Stock Tokens are blockchain-based assets issued by Robinhood that provide exposure to real-world assets (RWAs), including stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). RWAs are tokens tied to assets outside crypto, such as stocks, bonds, commodities, or real estate. Because they exist on-chain, they can interact with applications including trading platforms, lending protocols, and other smart contract-based tools. Robinhood Chain works alongside decentralized exchanges, lending protocols, oracle services, and infrastructure providers.
The Numbers From Week One
The network came out of the gate strong. In its first week it recorded more than 17 million transactions, nearly 350,000 addresses, and more than $1 billion in decentralized exchange volume. Internal company metrics estimated the protocol's total value locked (TVL) at $250 million, while independent data from DefiLlama tracked the core protocol TVL at roughly $94 million, with network stablecoin balances climbing past $260 million.
