According to Fintech, Robinhood unveiled a comprehensive suite of decentralized finance (DeFi) initiatives and international expansion plans during its "The World is Flat" keynote in London. The centerpiece of this strategy is the public mainnet launch of Robinhood Chain, which serves as a Layer 2 network designed to connect the firm's existing user base directly to onchain activities.
Infrastructure and DeFi ecosystem
The new blockchain is engineered to be AI-native and optimized for real-world assets. To ensure rapid block times and robust functionality, Robinhood has integrated with major industry providers including Alchemy, BitGo, and Chainlink. The network already features several key launch partners that provide core liquidity and trading venues:
A significant component of this rollout involves Stock Tokens, which are now available in the Robinhood Wallet in more than 120 countries. These tokens allow eligible holders to trade around the clock, participate in lending pools, or provide collateral across various decentralized exchanges such as Rialto and 1Inch. In the United States, the firm is also introducing Robinhood Earn, a decentralized lending product allowing users to lend dollar-backed USDG from self-custody wallets at an estimated 7% APY.
International expansion and AI integration
Robinhood is simultaneously scaling its geographic footprint and technological capabilities. The firm recently launched in Canada following the acquisition of WonderFi and secured a capital markets services license from MAS in Singapore. In Europe, the company is expanding its perpetual futures offerings to include commodities like gold and silver, as well as FX pairs with up to 10x leverage. Furthermore, Robinhood is moving into "agentic" finance by allowing users to link preferred AI models to their trading data via a Trading MCP. This allows automated agents to scan market data while humans maintain final control over capital allocation.
The company's aggressive expansion reflects a shift toward merging traditional brokerage with sophisticated onchain tools. By providing these services at no extra cost in many regions, Robinhood seeks to lower the technical barriers for retail investors entering the DeFi space.