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In short
- Robinhood Chain is getting into a public testnet part.
- The change needs builders to experiment with tokenized belongings.
- The corporate launched inventory tokens in June.
Robinhood stated on Tuesday that builders will start experimenting with functions on its Ethereum layer-2 community, alongside the debut of a public testnet for Robinhood Chain.
That can create a low-stakes surroundings for builders to evaluate the community’s technical deserves because it’s folded into the retail brokerage’s enterprise, in response to a press launch.
Robinhood’s imaginative and prescient for embracing decentralized finance is broad, however the firm is especially fascinated with how appropriate so-called inventory tokens are with conventional workflows, in response to Johann Kerbrat, senior vice chairman and basic supervisor of Robinhood Crypto.
“We don’t wish to make it one other [layer-2 network] that’s nearly scaling,” he instructed Decrypt. “We're truly utilizing this underlying know-how to truly rebuild a few of our methods.”
Layer-2 networks have been historically considered as a means to enhance Ethereum’s total efficiency, but Robinhood is embracing the know-how as a method to increase its providers, whereas carving out its personal nook of the broader crypto ecosystem to have interaction prospects in.
Kerbrat stated the testnet part is aimed toward builders aware of constructing merchandise like perpetual futures exchanges and lending platforms, but in addition establishments, who could also be fascinated with finally utilizing Robinhood’s networks to supply merchandise of their very own.
Eight months in the past, the corporate rolled out inventory tokens for patrons in Europe, which offer buyers with artificial publicity to U.S. shares, in addition to personal firms. Kebrat stated Robinhood needs to increase that service to as many jurisdictions as attainable.
Nonetheless, buyers at the moment have restricted entry to tokenized belongings within the U.S., with the Securities and Change Fee at the moment crafting steering round digital representations of real-world belongings. Coinbase is amongst crypto-natives racing to deliver related merchandise to market.
“We’re going to be fairly cautious in regards to the rollouts,” Kerbrat stated.
Following the inventory tokens rollout final 12 months, Kerbrat described the testnet part as a important step. It’ll inform the corporate’s imaginative and prescient for facilitating round the clock buying and selling, with crypto serving as a spine, he stated.
“We're utilizing [Robinhood Chain] for inventory token buying and selling, which is absolutely the best way to imitate what we’re doing within the U.S.,” he added. “We’re not stopping at crypto buying and selling.”
Coinbase and Kraken have developed layer-2 networks utilizing a tech stack provided by OP Labs, the workforce behind Optimism. Robinhood is taking a distinct strategy, by modeling its community on an Ethereum scaling community created by Offchain Labs known as Arbitrum.
“With Arbitrum’s developer-friendly know-how, Robinhood Chain is well-positioned to assist the trade ship the following chapter of tokenization,” Offchain Labs co-founder and CEO Steven Goldfeder stated in an announcement.


