Robinhood CEO Says Once Tokenization Enables 24/7 Markets, Change Is Irreversible

Tokenization is rapidly reshaping global finance into a nonstop ecosystem. With the rise of digital assets and programmable money, traditional markets are now being driven toward 24/7 trading, seamless tokenized credit, and continuous cross-border liquidity. These innovations are revolutionizing global capital access, redefining how financial systems operate globally.

Digital asset innovation is accelerating this shift as highlighted by Vlad Tenev, CEO of Robinhood Markets Inc. (Nasdaq: HOOD). On November 10th, Tenev emphasized that tokenization will enable 24/7 trading, removing the traditional limitations imposed by stock market hours. Sharing his vision on social media platform X, Tenev stated:

“There was a time when you couldn’t trade stocks on your phone. Imagine explaining to someone in 2035 that back in 2025, markets closed on weekends and holidays.”

He further added that tokenization will unlock 24/7 markets, suggesting that once people experience unlimited accessibility, they won’t revert to old systems. “Access feels impossible until it’s within reach.”

Tenev's remarks highlight how technological progress fundamentally alters expectations once accessibility becomes normalized. By drawing parallels between tokenized markets and the rise of mobile stock trading, he suggested that round-the-clock access will become an irreversible standard. This shift is anticipated to transform how global investors interact with financial markets, encouraging a future where markets are unconstrained by time or geography.

Further supporting this shift, Visa’s October 2025 report reveals that tokenization and programmable money are reshaping global credit markets through automated, continuous systems. Notably, it underscores the rapid growth of stablecoin lending, which has reached $12.7 billion today, up from $5 billion in December 2023. Projections by McKinsey suggest that the total value of tokenized assets could rise to between $1-4 trillion by 2030.

Traditional assets like corporate bonds, private credit, and real estate could soon be integrated into tokenized markets, serving as collateral in 24/7 global lending. This would allow the $40 trillion credit market to leverage the efficiency of programmable money. Visa's report also mentions that major asset managers are successfully piloting scalable models, potentially setting the stage for the tokenization of hundreds of trillions in assets within the next decade.

⏰ What does tokenization mean for global financial markets? Tokenization enables digital representations of assets, allowing trading and settlement to occur continuously, removing market-hour constraints.

How could 24/7 trading impact traditional stock markets? Continuous trading could make legacy systems obsolete, leading to fully integrated, always-on markets accessible to global investors.

What role do stablecoins play in this transformation? Stablecoins facilitate automated, real-time transactions, supporting programmable lending and global liquidity within tokenized markets.

Which sectors are likely to be tokenized first? Corporate bonds, private credit, and real estate are expected to be among the first traditional assets integrated into tokenized markets.