ArbitrumDAO Factsheet: Robinhood Chain Testnet Launches on Arbitrum
- Robinhood Chain public testnet is live on the Arbitrum platform - a dedicated Ethereum Layer 2 ahead of mainnet later in 2026
- Robinhood Chain testnet validates Arbitrum’s phased infrastructure model: launch on shared rails, validate demand, then deploy a dedicated chain
- Robinhood is also committing $1m to the 2026 Arbitrum Open House programme: four global buildathons and two in-person Founder Houses.
What happened
Robinhood Chain testnet is live.
The launch follows Robinhood’s deployment of Stock Tokens on Arbitrum One - over 2,000 tokens linked to US stocks and ETPs, available to EU customers, including exposure to private companies like OpenAI and SpaceX. The testnet marks the next phase in a deliberate infrastructure progression: validate product-market fit on shared production rails, then deploy a purpose-built chain.
Developers can now connect wallets, request testnet ETH and simulated Stock Tokens (including Tesla, Amazon, Palantir, Netflix and AMD), deploy Solidity contracts and bridge test assets into the Robinhood Chain environment.
Why this matters
Another institutional deployment on Arbitrum rails.
Robinhood joins BlackRock (BUIDL), Franklin Templeton (BENJI) and Ethena (USDe) in selecting the Arbitrum platform for production financial infrastructure. Each deployment strengthens network effects that competitors cannot replicate - deep liquidity, institutional-grade tooling and a proven migration pathway from shared to sovereign infrastructure.
Partner-funded builder investment.
Robinhood’s $1M Open House commitment helps to fund four online buildathons (New York, Dubai, London, Singapore) and two in-person Founder Houses (New York, London). Capital from institutional partners flowing directly into developer acquisition accelerates ecosystem growth beyond Foundation resources alone.
The Arbitrum app-to-chain model in action.
Robinhood started on Arbitrum One with immediate access to deep liquidity and production-grade infrastructure. Now they are deploying a dedicated chain with blockspace designed specifically for tokenised financial assets. That progression - shared infrastructure to sovereign chain - is native to Arbitrum’s architecture. When Robinhood migrates, the ArbitrumDAO receives a 10% protocol revenue share of onchain transaction fees. Every dedicated chain deployment compounds the economic engine.
Get involved
Build on Robinhood Chain testnet at robinhood.com/chain - read the developer docs, connect a wallet, request testnet ETH and start deploying contracts.
Apply (or refer builders) for the Open House programme at openhouse.arbitrum.io for buildathon access and mentorship.
Resources
- Arbitrum X Post: https://x.com/arbitrum/status/2021404363340775474
- Robinhood X Post: https://x.com/RobinhoodApp/status/2021399303722258575
- Robinhood Chain Portal: robinhood.com/chain
- Open House Programme: openhouse.arbitrum.io
- Arbitrum Announcement Blog: Robinhood Chain Launches Testnet on Arbitrum, Commits $1M to Jumpstart Developer Ecosystem
- Robinhood Announcement Blog: Robinhood Chain Launches Public Testnet
- Developer Docs: https://docs.robinhood.com/chain/
- Testnet Faucet: https://faucet.testnet.chain.robinhood.com/