Robinhood is gearing up to expand its operations in Europe by leveraging blockchain technology to offer tokenized trading of U.S. assets. The popular brokerage firm has recently secured a brokerage license in Lithuania, paving the way for it to provide investment services across the European Union.
According to Bloomberg sources, the company plans to launch a platform where European retail investors can trade tokenized versions of real-world U.S. securities—such as stocks, real estate, or commodities—on a blockchain network. These tokenized assets, commonly referred to as Real World Assets (RWAs), are digital representations of traditional securities, allowing for more accessible and efficient trading.
Although these tokens don’t offer direct ownership of the underlying assets, the appeal lies in the many benefits blockchain provides, including faster settlements, fractional ownership, and enhanced global accessibility.
Robinhood is reportedly exploring partnerships with blockchain ecosystems such as Arbitrum and the Solana Foundation to support this ambitious move.
CEO Tenev on the Promise of Tokenization
Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev has been vocal about his enthusiasm for asset tokenization. In a February 2025 interview, he highlighted how blockchain enables anyone to create and list a tradable asset within minutes—a stark contrast to the time-consuming and costly traditional IPO process. He described tokenization as both “frightening” and “powerful,” emphasizing its potential to democratize access to financial markets and global liquidity.
Once focused solely on traditional financial markets, Robinhood has since embraced crypto trading, especially during the last crypto market boom, when digital assets drove significant user engagement.
Market Makers Drive Robinhood’s Q1 2025 Revenue
Robinhood’s latest financial report to the SEC revealed that market makers, especially those in the crypto space, have become the primary source of the platform’s revenue. In the first quarter of 2025, 63% of Robinhood’s total earnings came from market-making activities—up from 52% during the same period in 2024.
Top contributors included Citadel Securities and B2C2 USA, each generating 12% of total revenue, followed closely by Wintermute Trading at 11%. Market makers play a critical role by providing liquidity and ensuring efficient transactions, particularly in volatile or emerging markets like crypto.