“Tokenization is like a freight train; it is unstoppable and will eventually transform the entire financial system,” Tenev said.
According to Tenev, full global adoption of tokenization could take up to a decade. However, he noted that the US will likely transition more slowly than other regions due to its existing financial infrastructure's effectiveness.
Referring to Japan's high-speed rail system, Tenev said, “If it's too costly to reduce a three-hour journey to two hours, the current system is considered functional. The same goes for the U.S. financial system.”
Tenev, describing stablecoins as the most fundamental example of tokenized assets, emphasized that dollar‑based stablecoins have reinforced the US's global monetary dominance and that a similar trend will spread to tokenized stocks, real estate, and other assets. He believes that in the future, the line between crypto technology and traditional finance will completely disappear.
Another area of focus for Robinhood has been prediction markets. The platform, which the company launched in late 2024, has traded more than 4 billion contracts to date.
Tenev noted that contracts related to sports, culture, artificial intelligence, and elections are gaining prominence, adding that this market isn’t limited to election periods. Robinhood has reportedly begun discussions with foreign regulators, including the UK's FCA, to expand its service globally.
This is not investment advice.