Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev argues that the ease of creating a cryptocurrency and having it trade within minutes highlights how simple it could be for private companies to secure external funding.
The ability to create a cryptocurrency and have it trading within minutes demonstrates how seamlessly private stocks in major companies like OpenAI and SpaceX could be tokenized, says Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev.
"You can sit down with some software, create a coin, and have it trading in five minutes [...] That’s both a scary and incredibly powerful thing when you compare it to how complex the IPO process is," Tenev said in a Feb. 25 interview with Bloomberg.
“That’s why I find tokenization so fascinating,” he added, emphasizing how blockchain technology simplifies asset listing and unlocks global liquidity.
Tenev noted that one of the biggest frustrations for Robinhood’s retail investors is their inability to gain exposure to what could be "the biggest technological revolution we've ever seen" artificial intelligence.
“What can you invest in? Nvidia and, to some extent, Tesla. But no OpenAI, no Anthropic,” he said.
Robinhood’s CEO Vladimir Tenev speaking with Bloomberg. Source: Bloomberga
Tenev added that the Trump administration’s efforts to position America as a global leader in crypto and AI will give U.S. companies like Robinhood greater opportunities to push the boundaries of both technologies.
Tokenizing real-world assets on-chain would require clear accreditation and registration rules to guide how trading platforms can list crypto-based securities, Tenev noted.
Disclosure requirements would also be essential, he said, emphasizing that investors should be able to “distinguish between a company like SpaceX, which may have high-quality audited financials, and an earlier-stage venture.”
Tenev’s plans to expand Robinhood’s crypto offerings come as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) officially closed its investigation into Robinhood Crypto on Feb. 24.
Under former Chair Gary Gensler, the SEC issued a Wells notice to Robinhood Crypto in May, signaling its intent to pursue an enforcement action over alleged securities violations.
Robinhood reported a record $1 billion in revenue in Q4 last year, with cryptocurrency trading contributing $358 million.
Crypto trading volumes surged over 450% year-over-year to $71 billion, while Robinhood’s total crypto assets under custody jumped 75% quarter-over-quarter to $35 million.
