Demand for US stocks is rising globally, pushing investors to look beyond domestic markets, Robinhood senior VP and general manager in charge of crypto, Johann Kerbrat said during a Fireside chat at Consensus 2026 in Miami.
“We are seeing a lot of demand for US stocks from overseas investors, particularly linked to AI-related companies,” Kerbrat said, adding that access remains limited in many regions compared to the US.
Kerbrat said investors should shift from country-specific strategies to global allocation now that international 24/7 trading platforms are available to them. “It’s time for many investors to really think about not just how to invest in a specific country, but also how to have a global portfolio,” he said.
The Kraken CEO pointed to tokenization and round-the-clock trading as key opportunities. “We think it will be 24/7. We think it will be instant settlement,” he said, describing features that could differentiate tokenized assets from traditional brokerage products.
The discussion, moderated by Crypto in America host Eleanor Terrett, also addressed regulatory restrictions in the United States. Kerbrat said that “regulation in the United States has been less than friendly in the past,” although he noted that recent engagement with policymakers has improved.
Robinhood has launched tokenized equity products in Europe using a derivatives model that tracks underlying assets, with plans to expand access to additional asset classes, including private equity. Kerbrat said the goal is broader participation in markets that have historically been limited to accredited investors.
“I think it’s really important to give them the choice to be able to invest in it before it goes public,” he said, referring to private companies.
Kerbrat said adoption will depend on offering new functionality rather than duplicating existing brokerage services, with lending, collateral and continuous trading cited as areas of development.
Kraken, which trails platforms such as OKX, Bybit and Coinbase (COIN) in spot trading volumes, but remains a major player in the crypto derivatives market. is a US-based crypto exchange where users can buy, sell and trade digital assets like bitcoin and ether using fiat or crypto. It has expanded into services such as derivatives, staking and custody, positioning itself as a more full-service trading platform beyond a basic retail app.
