In a journey that reads like a modern tech fairy tale, Johann Kerbrat has gone from flipping burgers at McDonald’s to leading one of the most ambitious crypto divisions in fintech today. As Senior Vice President and General Manager of Robinhood Crypto, Kerbrat is not just shaping the future of digital finance—he’s proving that innovation thrives where resilience meets vision.
This is the story of how a young programmer in a tiny French apartment became a driving force behind mainstream crypto adoption.
Early Days: A Small Room, Big Dreams
"Back then, my studio was probably smaller than your bathroom," recalls Johann Kerbrat. In his early twenties, living near the French Riviera, he worked daytime shifts at McDonald’s while teaching himself to code at night.
Before enrolling at the University of Nice, Kerbrat left his job to launch his first fintech startup—an early no-code payment platform that allowed small businesses to build e-commerce websites without hiring developers.
"It was the dawn of online commerce," he says. "Businesses either paid tens of thousands to agencies or couldn’t go online at all. Our idea was to let anyone create a store—no technical skills needed. Think of it as an early version of Shopify."
Timing was on his side. The early 2010s saw explosive growth in digital commerce, and Kerbrat’s tool gave small merchants a fighting chance. But more importantly, it opened his eyes to the fragility and inefficiency of traditional financial systems.
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The Bitcoin Revelation
A pivotal moment came during a conversation with a Greek classmate whose family had their bank accounts frozen during the Eurozone crisis. "They couldn’t access their money—no groceries, no bills," Kerbrat recalls. "Meanwhile, merchants using my platform were struggling with high fees, chargebacks, and fraud."
Then, in 2010, he read the Bitcoin whitepaper.
“I thought: This is the solution to all these problems.”
Instead of chasing quick gains, Kerbrat dove into the technology—building mining rigs, setting up wallets, and experimenting with Bitcoin-based payment systems. He wasn’t interested in speculation; he was obsessed with infrastructure.
“That’s when I realized crypto isn’t just an asset class—it’s a structural shift.”
His core keywords? Cryptocurrency, fintech innovation, blockchain infrastructure, financial inclusion, Web3 adoption, digital finance, non-custodial wallets, and tokenized assets—all themes that would define his career.
Engineering the Future: From Uber to Iron Fish
Kerbrat’s technical prowess led him to top tech companies. He served as a core engineer at Airbnb and Uber, mastering scalable platform design. Later, he became VP of Engineering at Iron Fish, a privacy-focused Layer 1 blockchain leveraging zero-knowledge proofs.
That experience cemented a critical insight: the biggest barrier to crypto adoption isn’t technology—it’s user experience.
"Most people don’t care about consensus mechanisms or cryptographic proofs," he says. "They care if it works, if it’s safe, and if it’s easy."
This user-first philosophy would later become the foundation of Robinhood’s crypto strategy.
Leading Robinhood’s Crypto Revolution
Kerbrat joined Robinhood Crypto as Chief Technology Officer in 2021 and was promoted to Senior Vice President and General Manager by 2023. Over 13 years after reading the Bitcoin whitepaper, he was now steering one of the most influential platforms in retail finance toward a blockchain-powered future.
Under his leadership, Robinhood has launched:
- Robinhood Wallet (2022): A non-custodial wallet designed for everyday users—simple, intuitive, and secure. Kerbrat calls it “a Web3 browser for regular people.”
- Bitcoin Withdrawals (2023): Allowing users to transfer BTC directly to external wallets—a major step toward true ownership.
- Acquisition of Bitstamp (2024): A strategic move to gain over 50 European licenses, enabling Robinhood to expand into regulated markets despite uncertainty in the U.S.
“We can’t bet our future on whether the SEC changes its mind,” Kerbrat says. “Compliance isn’t a roadblock—it’s a competitive moat.”
A Full-Circle Moment in Cannes
Thirteen years after coding in a cramped apartment near Cannes, Kerbrat returned—not as a fast-food worker, but as a keynote speaker at the Ethereum Community Conference, hosted at the opulent Château de la Croix des Gardes.
From the terrace of the iconic Carlton Hotel—a place once out of reach—he announced Robinhood’s boldest move yet:
- Tokenized Stocks & ETFs: Now live for users in 30 EU/EEA countries, built initially on Arbitrum. These tokens offer 24/5 trading, dividend support, and zero fees—eventually migrating to a custom Layer 2 blockchain.
- Staking for Ethereum and Solana: Available in the U.S., letting users earn rewards by supporting network security.
- Crypto Perpetual Futures in Europe: Up to 3x leverage via Bitstamp routing.
- New L2 Blockchain: Optimized for real-world asset settlement and continuous trading.
The stock surged to an all-time high following the announcement—up over 100% in 2025.
“You don’t think about how water gets to your tap,” Kerbrat explains. “You just expect it to work. That’s what crypto should feel like.”
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The Road Ahead: Invisible Infrastructure
Kerbrat’s vision is clear: make crypto so seamless it disappears into the background.
The new Layer 2 will support:
- Tokenized real-world assets (RWAs)
- Seamless cross-chain bridging
- Self-custody with institutional-grade security
- Smart order routing and advanced tax lot management
"Mass adoption isn’t about complexity," he says. "It’s about invisibility. It’s about building pipes so strong that people don’t need to see them."
His parents attended the Cannes launch—emotional witnesses to their son’s journey from skeptical conversations with local shop owners to leading a financial revolution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is Johann Kerbrat?
A: Johann Kerbrat is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Robinhood Crypto. He previously worked at Airbnb, Uber, and Iron Fish, and founded an early no-code e-commerce platform in France.
Q: What is Robinhood Wallet?
A: It’s a non-custodial crypto wallet launched by Robinhood in 2022. Unlike the main app, users control their private keys, enabling true ownership of digital assets.
Q: What does tokenized stock mean?
A: Tokenized stocks are blockchain-based representations of real shares or ETFs. They allow fractional ownership, faster settlement, and extended trading hours—all while being backed by regulated entities.
Q: Is Robinhood expanding outside the U.S.?
A: Yes. Through its acquisition of Bitstamp and recent regulatory approvals, Robinhood is actively expanding into Europe with tokenized assets, staking, and leveraged trading.
Q: How does Kerbrat view regulation?
A: He sees compliance as a strategic advantage. By securing licenses like those from Bitstamp, Robinhood builds trust and access—turning regulatory hurdles into market barriers for competitors.
Q: What role does Layer 2 play in Robinhood’s plan?
A: The upcoming custom Layer 2 blockchain will support tokenized assets, reduce fees, enable 24/7 trading, and improve interoperability—key for long-term scalability.
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Final Thoughts: The Power of Persistence
Johann Kerbrat’s story isn’t just about rags-to-riches—it’s about purpose-driven innovation. From debugging code in a shoebox apartment to architecting financial infrastructure for millions, he embodies the belief that technology should serve people, not the other way around.
His journey reminds us that the future isn’t built by those with the most resources—but by those who see problems as opportunities.
And as Robinhood pushes forward with tokenization, staking, and global expansion, one thing is clear: under Kerbrat’s leadership, crypto isn’t just coming to Main Street—it’s already here.