Vlad Tenev, CEO of Robinhood Markets Inc, stated that the tokenization of assets will be a driving force behind significant changes in the financial system. He believes that this process will not only transform financial services but also greatly expand market volumes.
This is reported by Business • Media
Tokenization as the Future of the Financial Sector
During his speech at the Token2049 conference in Singapore, Vlad Tenev emphasized that tokenization, or the conversion of assets into digital form, opens new opportunities for the financial industry. He is convinced that the digitization of assets—from stocks to real estate—can increase market volumes from the current “below one percent of trillions” to “tens of trillions of dollars.”
“Tokenization is a freight train that will engulf the entire financial system,” he said.
According to Tenev, active interest in tokenization is expected primarily outside the United States, as public and private assets transition to cryptocurrency technologies. He also noted that proponents of tokenization view it as a means of democratizing access to illiquid assets and reducing transaction costs.
Strategic Steps by Robinhood and New Development Directions
In June 2025, Robinhood launched its own L2 network based on Arbitrum, focused on tokenized trading. This initiative sparked discussions, including criticism from the company’s main regulator in the European Union. Additionally, OpenAI stated that it had not authorized the distribution of securities related to its brand.
Despite the remarks, Vlad Tenev emphasized that Robinhood will continue to develop the area of tokenized stocks and integrate them into DeFi platforms, with no plans to scale back these initiatives.
Another important direction for Robinhood has been prediction markets. According to Tenev, the company is considering the possibility of bringing event contracts to an international level, which involves intersections with media, the gambling industry, and active trading.
“This is a somewhat different animal that has the potential to disrupt each of these major industries,” he explained, speaking about prediction markets.
Furthermore, Robinhood is strengthening its position in traditional markets. In September, the company joined the S&P 500— a key stock index in the United States. The first trades in the new composition of the index took place on September 22.