Robinhood activates testnet for Ethereum layer 2 blockchain

Robinhood has activated its public testnet for Robinhood Chain, a new Ethereum layer 2 network designed to support onchain financial infrastructure that connects traditional markets, crypto, and real-world assets (RWAs).

The chain, powered by Arbitrum’s technology, was first revealed last June as the company stepped up its digital asset expansion amid a more supportive regulatory climate in the US.

Johann Kerbrat, who leads Robinhood’s global crypto strategy, said in a statement that the testnet is meant to lay the groundwork for an ecosystem focused on tokenized RWAs while supporting builders seeking deeper integration with DeFi within Ethereum.

That said, Robinhood Chain is optimized for tokenized equities, ETFs, and private assets, allowing them to be represented, traded, and self-custodied onchain. The network is positioned as an open, developer-friendly blockchain that allows anyone to deploy smart contracts and build applications.

Robinhood says this supports its goal of making financial assets accessible around the clock without intermediaries or platform lock-in.

The testnet gives developers access to network endpoints, documentation, and compatibility with standard Ethereum tools. Infrastructure providers Alchemy, Allium, Chainlink, LayerZero, and TRM have already begun integrating with the chain ahead of a mainnet launch scheduled for later this year.

“We look forward to building alongside our infrastructure partners as we work to bring financial services onchain,” Kerbrat stated.

Steven Goldfeder, co-founder and chief executive of Offchain Labs, said the chain is built to deliver “the next chapter of tokenization and permissionless financial services.”

Robinhood introduced more than 200 tokenized US equities for European customers in late 2025, and the new blockchain will eventually host those offerings. The company plans to enable 24/7 trading and self-custody functionality once the mainnet goes live.