Robinhood-backed Arcus has launched over 95 tokenised stocks and perpetual futures on Robinhood Chain, combining self-custody, USDG settlement and multi-asset trading while remaining unavailable in several major jurisdictions.
According to a Finance Magnates report published on 22 July 2026, Arcus, a decentralised exchange (DEX) backed by Robinhood Crypto, has launched tokenised stocks and perpetual futures on Robinhood Chain, adding another platform to the rapidly expanding competition to bring traditional market products on-chain. The platform was developed by the team behind the decentralised trading platform dYdX and had previously introduced spot markets when Robinhood Chain launched on 1 July 2026. The expansion allows users to access more than 95 stock tokens, perpetual markets and crypto assets through self-custodial trading accounts. (Source: Finance Magnates, Robinhood-Backed Arcus Launches Tokenized Stocks and Perpetual Futures, published: 22 July 2026.)
The move places Arcus in one of the most competitive areas of the crypto market structure: tokenised real-world assets (RWA). Major platforms are attempting to convert shares, funds, commodities and indices into blockchain-based instruments that can be traded using crypto-style settlement and wallet-based access. For Robinhood, the launch further expands the functionality of Robinhood Chain. The key question is whether tokenised stocks can attract sufficient liquidity within a fragmented and still uncertain regulatory environment.
How the Self-Custody Model Changes the Product Structure
Arcus uses a self-custody model, meaning users retain control of their assets rather than depositing them with a centralised exchange. This design is consistent with decentralised finance (DeFi) principles, but differs significantly from traditional brokers, where client assets are held through regulated custody and clearing systems. At the account and settlement level, the platform has the following core arrangements:
Wallet access: Arcus uses wallet infrastructure provider Privy, allowing users to create and manage wallets by signing in with an email address or social media account.
Existing wallet connections: users who already hold cryptocurrencies can connect self-custodial wallets such as MetaMask, Ledger and WalletConnect, with support also available for other Ethereum-compatible wallets.
Settlement asset: the Paxos-issued USDG stablecoin serves as the principal collateral and settlement asset, providing the platform with a stablecoin-based settlement layer.
The product range includes tokenised versions of major US companies such as Nvidia, Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google and Amazon. Arcus also offers perpetual markets linked to shares, exchange-traded funds, commodities, indices and crypto assets, extending its scope beyond direct equity exposure.
Product Structure and Coverage
In terms of product breadth and availability, Arcus combines spot tokenised stocks, perpetual futures and crypto assets within a single self-custodial account integrated with Robinhood Chain. The table below summarises its principal products and access conditions. (Sources: Finance Magnates and publicly available product information, July 2026.)
| Item | Details | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spot tokenised stocks | More than 95 stock tokens | Live | Expanded in July 2026 |
| Perpetual futures | Covering shares, ETFs, commodities, indices and crypto assets | Launched | Expanded in July 2026 |
| Underlying network | Robinhood Chain, an EVM-compatible Layer 2 network | Live | 1 July 2026 |
| Restricted jurisdictions | Unavailable in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other regions | Ongoing restrictions | At launch |
Why Tokenised Stocks Remain Subject to Regulatory Restrictions
The expansion also highlights the limitations affecting access to tokenised stocks. Arcus said its stock tokens are unavailable in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and certain other restricted jurisdictions, reflecting differences in the regulatory treatment of tokenised securities across major markets. This restriction is significant because the products are built around tokenised versions of US-listed shares, yet users in several major financial markets cannot access them. (Source: Finance Magnates, same report as above, citing disclosures from the Arcus platform.)
Regulators in major markets have been examining how blockchain-based representations of traditional assets fit within existing financial frameworks. The principal unresolved questions include:
Whether token holders directly own the underlying assets.
How custody is arranged.
What information must be disclosed.
Whether these instruments should be traded under securities, derivatives or brokerage rules.
These questions are critical for exchanges, brokers and DeFi platforms because tokenised stocks sit between two systems: they adopt the user experience and settlement functions of crypto markets, while the underlying assets remain subject to traditional securities laws.
Implications for Competition in On-Chain Markets
Arcus is entering an expanding market in which crypto companies and financial platforms are competing to build infrastructure for tokenised real-world assets. The appeal is clear: tokenised stocks and derivatives can provide faster settlement, broader use of collateral and direct wallet access, while giving platforms a route to expand beyond volatile cryptocurrency trading pairs. (Source: Finance Magnates, same report as above.)
At the same time, the challenges are equally clear. Questions concerning liquidity, compliance and investor protection remain unresolved in many markets. Platforms that move too quickly may face the risk of regulators restricting their products after launch, while those that move too slowly may concede early liquidity to competitors. For investors and market operators, the launch indicates that tokenisation is moving from a conceptual stage towards commercial product distribution. Its broader impact will depend on whether tokenised equity markets can attract sufficient liquidity outside restricted jurisdictions and whether regulators can provide clearer routes to compliant market access. Until then, the launch of Arcus represents a market-structure experiment with tangible backing, substantial product breadth and meaningful regulatory constraints.
Questions About Arcus Tokenised Stocks and Perpetual Futures
What is Arcus and who developed the platform?
Arcus is a decentralised exchange backed by Robinhood Crypto and developed by the team behind the decentralised trading platform dYdX. It operates on Robinhood Chain and initially launched spot markets when the network went live on 1 July 2026, before expanding into tokenised stocks and perpetual futures.
Which products can users trade on Arcus?
Users can access more than 95 stock tokens through self-custodial accounts, including tokenised versions of major US companies such as Nvidia, Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google and Amazon. The platform also offers perpetual markets linked to shares, ETFs, commodities, indices and crypto assets.
How does Arcus’s self-custody model differ from a traditional broker?
Self-custody means users retain control of their assets instead of depositing them with a centralised exchange. Traditional brokers hold client assets through regulated custody and clearing systems. Arcus uses Privy to provide wallet access and the Paxos-issued USDG stablecoin as its principal collateral and settlement asset.
Why are users in some countries unable to access Arcus stock tokens?
Arcus said its stock tokens are unavailable in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and certain other restricted jurisdictions, reflecting differences in how major markets regulate tokenised securities. Although the technology enables global distribution, securities rules still depend on the jurisdiction, investor eligibility, custody structure and product design.
Which regulatory issues affecting tokenised stocks remain unresolved?
The principal questions include whether token holders directly own the underlying assets, how custody is arranged, what information must be disclosed and whether these instruments should be traded under securities, derivatives or brokerage rules. As tokenised stocks sit between crypto markets and traditional securities systems, these issues remain unresolved in many jurisdictions.
