Arcus DEX Launches 95 Tokenized Stocks and Perpetuals on Robinhood Chain

Arcus, the decentralized exchange developed by dYdX Labs in partnership with Robinhood Crypto, launched on July 1, 2026 on Robinhood Chain, an Arbitrum-based Layer 2 blockchain. The platform offers 95 Stock Tokens and perpetuals covering 35 markets, with 0% trading fees and 24/7 availability.

A Blockchain Infrastructure Designed for Real-World Assets

Robinhood Chain is an EVM-compatible Layer 2 blockchain built on Arbitrum technology. This infrastructure combines Ethereum’s security with L2 scaling benefits: fast block times and low transaction costs. The chain is specifically designed for tokenized real-world assets and onchain lending, with ready-to-use DeFi primitives like lending and borrowing.

The Arcus platform targets users in over 120 countries. Robinhood has nearly 28 million clients across 38 countries and three continents, offering significant potential user base for Arcus despite exclusions from American, British, and Canadian markets. These three markets account for a substantial portion of global retail trading volume, representing a notable limitation.

« Decentralized finance unlocks possibilities beyond what traditional finance can offer, but historically, it has required technical expertise to navigate. We are bringing together the best of traditional finance and DeFi, and in doing so, we are extending financial ownership to every corner of the globe. »

Johann Kerbrat, VP and Head of Crypto and International at Robinhood

Stock Tokens: Economic Exposure Without Direct Ownership

The 95 Stock Tokens offered by Arcus represent tokenized versions of real-world stocks listed on exchanges. These tokens provide economic exposure to underlying assets without granting direct ownership of the shares, according to Robinhood’s tokenization structure across its chain. Users can trade these tokens 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with 0% trading fees for spot transactions.

Tokenized stock tokens include versions of shares from major US companies such as Nvidia, Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Amazon. The platform also offers perpetual markets related to stocks, exchange-traded funds, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrency assets. This diversification allows users to access a wide range of financial instruments through a DeFi interface.

Self-Custodial Model and Wallet Integration

Arcus uses a self-custodial model, allowing users to maintain control over their assets rather than depositing them with a centralized exchange. The platform relies on Privy, a wallet infrastructure enabling users to sign up via email credentials or social networks. This approach simplifies the user experience while maintaining the benefits of self-custody.

Users already holding cryptocurrency can connect their existing self-custodial wallets, including MetaMask, Ledger, and WalletConnect. Additional support is planned for other Ethereum-compatible wallets. The USDG stablecoin, issued by Paxos, serves as the primary collateral and settlement asset on the platform. This approach aligns with Robinhood Chain’s broader strategy for tokenized real-world assets.

Ecosystem and Partnerships

Robinhood Chain established partnerships from day one with major ecosystem players. Uniswap is deploying a dedicated AMM to serve as the primary public liquidity protocol, while Pleiades is deploying a proprietary AMM to serve as the main prop trading venue. The chain also benefits from deep integrations with Alchemy, BitGo, and Chainlink, ensuring robust and secure infrastructure.

Eddie Zhang, whose trading startup Pocket Protector was acquired by dYdX Labs, leads Arcus as Chief Executive Officer. Antonio Juliano, founder of dYdX Labs, joined Arcus’s board of directors, ensuring continuity with the dYdX ecosystem. dYdX, the decentralized perpetuals exchange operating on its own Cosmos-based appchain, holds $92.4 million in total value locked (TVL) according to DefiLlama. Its DYDX token was trading around $0.1451 according to CoinGecko at launch.

Regulatory Challenges and Outlook

Stock Tokens are not available for users residing in the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom, as well as other restricted jurisdictions. This exclusion represents a significant limitation, with these three markets accounting for a substantial portion of global retail trading volume. The absence of these markets likely reflects regulatory caution rather than lack of interest. The United States remains particularly complex for tokenized securities, where the SEC’s position on the definition of a security could make offering Stock Tokens legally perilous.

Conclusion

Arcus represents a significant evolution in Robinhood’s blockchain strategy, combining traditional finance user experience with DeFi technical innovation. The launch of 95 Stock Tokens and the gradual introduction of perpetuals demonstrate a clear ambition to democratize access to financial markets through tokenization. Despite significant geographic exclusions, the reach of 120+ countries and Robinhood’s existing user base offer considerable growth potential. The future will tell whether this initiative can reconcile innovation with regulatory compliance on a global scale.

Sources

• The Block – Robinhood Chain DEX Arcus launches pTokens
• Crypto Briefing – Arcus DEX Launch
• The Defiant – dYdX launches Arcus DEX
• Cointelegraph – Robinhood backed DEX Arcus expands
• KuCoin – Arcus launches fee-free DEX
• Robinhood Newsroom – Robinhood Chain Mainnet Launch

This article is published for informational and educational purposes. It does not constitute investment advice in any way. Conduct your own research (DYOR) before making any decisions.