Robinhood CEO Urges US Regulators to Approve Tokenized Stocks
Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ: HOOD) CEO Vlad Tenev is urging U.S. regulators to approve tokenized stocks, warning that the country risks falling behind global competitors in financial innovation. He argues that a 'tokenization super cycle' could reshape traditional finance by enabling faster trading and settlement through blockchain technology. Robinhood has already launched tokenized versions of over 190 U.S.-listed stocks for international clients across more than 120 countries, but the company faces regulatory hurdles in its home market. Tokenized shares are backed one-to-one with real equities like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), though investors do not directly own them — a distinction that has raised concerns among regulators. Tenev highlights benefits such as instant settlement and 24/7 trading, which could address long-standing inefficiencies in traditional markets. However, regulatory uncertainty remains the biggest barrier to adoption within the U.S., where HOOD stock is currently down nearly 15% over the past year.
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Topics: blockchain financial infrastructure stock tokenization U.S. regulators