On September 18, 2026, Robinhood shares rose by approximately 9.6%, closing at $120 per share. The growth followed the SEC's announcement of a five-year conditional Innovation Exemption, which allows platforms to trade tokenized US stocks on blockchain networks without full traditional registration.
The new regulatory sandbox permits the listing of blockchain-based stock representations. Platforms must notify issuers of the tokenization and respect any objections raised. Additionally, the SEC has introduced volume limits to prevent platforms from operating as unregulated shadow exchanges.
Robinhood previously launched its Ethereum Layer-2 network, Robinhood Chain, which has processed over $9.7 billion in volume. In Q2 2026, the company reported $1.31 billion in revenue and $573 million in net income, with total platform assets reaching $384 billion by late August.
Market reaction extended to other firms, with Coinbase shares increasing by 10% to 11%. Analysts currently set price targets for Robinhood between $130 and $160. However, the exemption remains conditional, and the SEC retains the authority to revoke it or tighten restrictions if necessary.
