Key Takeaways
- • WisdomTree reported that ArbitrumDAO earned $6.19 million in the first half of 2026, with a blended gross margin above 97%, compared with a margin above 90% in 2025.
- • Robinhood Chain paid $4.37 million in license fees in its first ten weeks, of which about $3.5 million went to ArbitrumDAO, according to WisdomTree research.
- • Arbitrum Foundation's Head of Investment Strategy Brendan Ma presented the network's business case to European financial institutions managing more than €800 billion in AUM at WisdomTree roundtables in Lugano and Milan.
- • WisdomTree's research "Arbitrum, a licence to build" identifies technology licensing as the fastest-growing component of Arbitrum's earnings, with chains settling to Ethereum paying 10% of net revenue as royalty income.
Summary
Arbitrum's blockchain business drew European financial institutions managing more than €800 billion in assets under management at WisdomTree roundtables in Lugano and Milan, according to an October 16, 2026 release. The Milan event alone included allocators representing over €600 billion. Brendan Ma, Head of Investment Strategy at the Arbitrum Foundation, presented the network's business case to private bankers, wealth managers and family offices, along with representatives from banks, liquid funds and private wealth advisory networks.
Ma argued that financial markets are moving onto public blockchains and that token-based networks require business models supported by revenue and cash flow. He described attendees as focused on the relationship between financial-asset tokenization and the networks positioned to earn revenue from it. He said he was "very surprised by how advanced the thinking on the asset class is for some of these very large institutions."
WisdomTree's research, "Arbitrum, a licence to build", was shared with clients during the week of the roundtables and identifies technology licensing as the fastest-growing component of Arbitrum's earnings. According to the report, ArbitrumDAO earned $6.19 million in the first half of 2026 with a blended gross margin exceeding 97%, up from a margin above 90% in 2025. The licensing arrangement applies to chains that use Arbitrum technology and settle to Ethereum, which pay 10% of their net revenue as royalty income.
Robinhood Chain, the first chain to pay these license fees, paid $4.37 million in its first ten weeks, with approximately $3.5 million going to ArbitrumDAO. The report notes that this contribution alone exceeded half of what the DAO earned over the preceding six months. WisdomTree uses the example to suggest other businesses launching their own networks are likely to consider Arbitrum, while flagging whether another enterprise will follow Robinhood as a question for the model's development.
The WisdomTree research followed Standard Chartered's initiation of coverage on Arbitrum in September 2026. WisdomTree, which offers tokenized funds, stablecoin connectivity and blockchain-based platforms through WisdomTree Onchain, reported approximately $175.8 billion in global assets under management for its last reportable period, including assets managed by Ceres Partners, LLC.
Ma argued that financial markets are moving onto public blockchains and that token-based networks require business models supported by revenue and cash flow. He described attendees as focused on the relationship between financial-asset tokenization and the networks positioned to earn revenue from it. He said he was "very surprised by how advanced the thinking on the asset class is for some of these very large institutions."
WisdomTree's research, "Arbitrum, a licence to build", was shared with clients during the week of the roundtables and identifies technology licensing as the fastest-growing component of Arbitrum's earnings. According to the report, ArbitrumDAO earned $6.19 million in the first half of 2026 with a blended gross margin exceeding 97%, up from a margin above 90% in 2025. The licensing arrangement applies to chains that use Arbitrum technology and settle to Ethereum, which pay 10% of their net revenue as royalty income.
Robinhood Chain, the first chain to pay these license fees, paid $4.37 million in its first ten weeks, with approximately $3.5 million going to ArbitrumDAO. The report notes that this contribution alone exceeded half of what the DAO earned over the preceding six months. WisdomTree uses the example to suggest other businesses launching their own networks are likely to consider Arbitrum, while flagging whether another enterprise will follow Robinhood as a question for the model's development.
The WisdomTree research followed Standard Chartered's initiation of coverage on Arbitrum in September 2026. WisdomTree, which offers tokenized funds, stablecoin connectivity and blockchain-based platforms through WisdomTree Onchain, reported approximately $175.8 billion in global assets under management for its last reportable period, including assets managed by Ceres Partners, LLC.
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