The Robinhood chain testnet runs directly on Arbitrum
Robinhood has launched a public testnet for Robinhood Chain, the new Ethereum layer-2 network built using Arbitrum technology, which aims to bring real-world and on-chain digital assets.
According to a release shared with Cointelegraph, the testnet, now live for developers, offers network access points, documentation at docs.chain.robinhood.com, compatibility with standard Ethereum development tools, and early integrations from infrastructure partners.
According to Robinhood, the chain is designed for “financial-grade” use cases, including 24/7 trading, seamless bridging, self-management and decentralized products such as tokenized asset platforms, credit markets and sustainable futures exchanges.
Among the features expected in the coming months is a Wananet launch planned for later this year, such as stock-style tokens and tight integration with Robinhood Wallet via testnet-only assets.
Johannes Kerbrat, Senior Vice President and GM of Crypto and International at Robinhood, in a release, laid the foundation for Robinhood Chain's testnet for an “ecosystem to determine the future of Tokenized real-world assets”, and developers tapping into the decentralized finance (DeFi) liquidity of the Ethereum ecosystem.
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Push the Robinhood token
This launch follows Robinhood's decision to place nearly 500 US stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on arbitrage as part of its broader real-world asset strategy, marking a deeper shift from simply offering crypto trading to an on-chain infrastructure.
The Robin Hood chain also reflects a broader trend where exchanges are trying to control the user-facing interface and the underlying onchain rails.
Coinbase, for example, operates a regulated trading platform when it builds Base L2 and announces that it will begin releasing token shares in December 2025.
Kraken is pursuing a similar end-to-end game by developing its own Optimism-based L2 Network Inc., a global crypto exchange, alongside xStocks tokenized equities.
Mixed track
Robinhood has faced regulatory and public criticism over system disruptions and fee-based equity flows during times of market stress, where market-making firms pay brokers to forward clients' orders in exchange for discounts.
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev said in January that tokenized shares could help prevent transaction avalanches due to blockchain technology's real-time settlement features.
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