Robinhood has launched the general public testnet for Robinhood Chain, an Ethereum Layer 2 community constructed on Arbitrum. The US-based buying and selling platform mentioned the testnet is designed to speed up the event of tokenized real-world and digital belongings.
This transfer would give builders early entry to the core infrastructure forward of a deliberate mainnet launch later this 12 months.
Arbitrum-Primarily based Layer 2 Testnet
With the general public testnet now reside, builders can start constructing and verifying functions on Robinhood Chain, utilizing an atmosphere that’s appropriate with customary Ethereum growth instruments and leverages Arbitrum expertise. Robinhood acknowledged that a number of infrastructure suppliers, equivalent to Alchemy, Allium, Chainlink, LayerZero, and TRM, are already integrating with the community.
Extra companions are anticipated to be onboarded through the early levels of the testnet. As a part of the launch, individuals can entry community entry factors to the testnet, developer documentation hosted on Robinhood’s web site, and early infrastructure help from ecosystem companions.
The corporate acknowledged that the testnet part is meant to help experimentation, determine potential points, enhance community stability, and lay the groundwork for builders forward of the upcoming mainnet.
Robinhood Chain is backed by the corporate’s present infrastructure and expertise. It was developed with a deal with reliability, safety, and compliance, the discharge mentioned. Constructed on Arbitrum, the community helps bridging and self-custody, together with the scalability and customizability wanted for financial-grade decentralized merchandise equivalent to tokenized asset platforms, lending platforms, and perpetual futures exchanges.
Going ahead, Robinhood mentioned builders constructing on the chain will acquire entry to testnet-only belongings, together with Inventory Tokens for integration testing, in addition to direct testing with Robinhood Pockets. The corporate added that the chain is designed to offer a well-known growth atmosphere throughout the broader Ethereum and Arbitrum ecosystem.
Institutional Enlargement Meets Income Headwinds
The buying and selling platform has continued to deepen its publicity to cryptocurrencies since rolling out crypto buying and selling for customers. Final 12 months, Robinhood formally accomplished the $200 million acquisition of Bitstamp, which was touted as its formal entry into institutional crypto. Nonetheless, its income developments have weakened in the previous couple of months.
Within the fourth quarter of 2025, Robinhood generated $221 million from cryptocurrency transactions, down 38% from a 12 months earlier. The outcome contrasted with the earlier quarter, when crypto income jumped to $268 million, amidst broader market turmoil.
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