markets

Robinhood Launches Its Own Public Blockchain in Crypto Push

Robinhood is rolling out a public blockchain as the trading app doubles down on its cryptocurrency ambitions.

Robinhood, the commission-free trading app that first made waves by letting everyday investors buy fractional shares of stocks, is now taking a serious swing at the crypto world — and this time it's not just listing a few coins on its platform. The company is rolling out its own public blockchain, a move that signals just how deep it wants to go in the digital assets space.

For the uninitiated, a public blockchain is basically an open, decentralized ledger that anyone can read, write to, or build on. Think of it like a public highway versus a private road. By building its own, Robinhood isn't just riding the crypto wave — it's trying to lay down some of the road itself. That's a pretty bold step for a company that started as a stock-trading app aimed at millennials who didn't want to pay brokerage fees.

Read more Citi Cuts Bitcoin and Ether Price Targets Amid Slowing ETF Flows →

This expansion is part of a broader trend of traditional-ish fintech companies moving aggressively into crypto infrastructure, not just retail crypto trading. There's a big difference between letting users buy Bitcoin through your app and actually operating blockchain infrastructure. The latter puts Robinhood in closer competition with dedicated crypto firms rather than just other retail brokerages.

Whether you're a Robinhood user or just someone watching the crypto space, this is the kind of development worth keeping an eye on. A platform with millions of retail users building its own public chain could have real implications for how everyday people interact with decentralized finance and digital assets going forward. The company is clearly betting that crypto isn't a fad — it's a foundation.

Continue reading at CoinDesk

Continue reading at CoinDesk →

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.What is Robinhood's new public blockchain?

Robinhood is rolling out its own public blockchain as part of a deeper expansion into the cryptocurrency space, moving beyond simply offering crypto trading on its platform.

Q.Why is Robinhood launching a blockchain?

The move signals Robinhood's ambition to go deeper into crypto infrastructure, not just retail digital asset trading, putting it in more direct competition with dedicated crypto firms.

Q.How does this change Robinhood's role in crypto?

By operating its own public blockchain, Robinhood shifts from being a retail trading platform that lists crypto to a company actively building and maintaining decentralized digital infrastructure.

More in markets →