MENLO PARK, California: Robinhood is giving European investors a new way to tap into America's most prominent tech names — without using traditional brokers.

On June 30, the trading platform announced the launch of tokenized stocks and ETFs for customers in the European Union, allowing them to trade more than 200 U.S. securities, including Apple, Nvidia, and Microsoft.

The stock tokens will be commission-free and tradable 24 hours a day, five days a week. Robinhood executives unveiled the product at a keynote event in France, positioning the move as part of a broader strategy to bring U.S. market access to international investors.

In a notable expansion, the company also plans to issue tokens linked to private companies, starting with OpenAI and SpaceX, two of the most closely watched firms in the tech world.

Robinhood shares surged nearly 10 percent after the announcement, hitting a record high. The tokens are being issued through a partnership with the blockchain platform Arbitrum.

"Tokenization is going to open the door to a massive trading revolution," said Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev at the event.

The launch comes amid surging global interest in U.S. equities, especially tech stocks benefiting from the AI boom. Tokenized equities — which blend features of traditional finance and cryptocurrency — are becoming popular for their accessibility, low fees, and flexible trading hours.

While these digital assets currently operate in a regulatory grey zone in the U.S., they are gaining traction in markets abroad, particularly among non-U.S. investors seeking easier ways to buy into American firms.

Robinhood, based in Menlo Park, California, is aiming to roll out "thousands" of stock tokens by the end of 2024 and eventually build its own blockchain to support 24/7 trading.

The initiative also reflects growing competition in the crypto-finance hybrid space. Last month, Kraken launched a similar equities-linked token service for users outside the U.S.

In addition to the tokenized stocks, Robinhood introduced several new crypto products at the same event.

EU customers will now be able to access perpetual futures, a type of cryptocurrency derivative that allows leveraged bets on price movements with no expiration date. Meanwhile, U.S. users will gain access to staking, where users lock their crypto holdings to validate blockchain transactions and earn rewards.

Staking has been a controversial area of crypto regulation. However, recent guidance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission suggested that some staking programs may not fall under securities laws, potentially easing concerns.

Rival exchange Coinbase is also planning to launch crypto perpetual futures for U.S. users next month.