Overseas demand for U.S. equities is growing, says Robinhood's Johan Kerbrart

Demand for U.S. equities 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 U.S. stocks from overseas investors, particularly tied to AI-related companies,” Kerbrat said, adding that access remains limited in many regions compared with the United States.

Kerbrat said investors should shift from country-specific strategies toward global allocation now that international 24/7 trading platforms are available to them. “It is time for a lot of investors to really think about not just how to invest in one specific country, but also how to have a global portfolio,” he said.

The Kraken executive pointed to tokenization and around-the-clock trading as key enablers. “We think it is going to be 24/7. We think it is going to 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 constraints in the United States. Kerbrat said “regulation in the U.S. has been less than friendly in the past,” though he noted recent engagement with policymakers has improved.

Robinhood has launched tokenized stock products in Europe using a derivative 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 is 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 replicating existing brokerage services, with lending, collateralization and continuous trading cited as areas of development.

Kraken, which trails platforms like OKX, Bybit and Coinbase (COIN) in spot trading volumes but remains a major player in the crypto derivatives market. is a U.S.-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.