Robinhood’s tokenized equity platform, launched in the EU, has sparked interest from private companies eager to tokenize their shares, enabling retail investors to access their equity through blockchain technology. CEO Vlad Tenev, reported a flood of inquiries from firms following the platform’s debut, which currently offers over 200 tokenized U.S. equities tradable five days a week, alongside non-tradable promotional tokens for private companies like OpenAI and SpaceX. Tenev highlighted the platform’s goal to onboard thousands of private firms, addressing the capital market inequity where large companies remain private longer, limiting retail access. However, the Bank of Lithuania, Robinhood’s EU regulator, is scrutinizing the tokens’ structure, classified as derivatives under MiCA and MiFID regulations, with assets backed by U.S. brokers. Tenev welcomed the review, confident in compliance, and noted ongoing discussions with U.S. and UK regulators for future expansion, believing the SEC can approve tokenization without new laws. The platform’s launch aligns with a broader tokenization trend, exemplified by BioSig Technologies’ $1.1 billion funding for tokenized commodities and Dubai’s approval of the first tokenized money market fund.
