Introduction
Fancy buying Tesla shares at 3am on a Sunday? The New York Stock Exchange might soon make that possible. The exchange just announced plans for a blockchain-based platform enabling round-the-clock trading of tokenised stocks and ETFs—pending SEC approval. With instant settlement, stablecoin funding, and dollar-denominated orders, the NYSE is betting big that investors want markets that never sleep. Welcome to the future of trading.
What’s the NYSE Actually Building?
The platform combines traditional NYSE matching technology with private blockchain networks to create something genuinely new: real-time tokenised securities trading that runs 24/7.
Here’s what makes it different. Traditional stock trading shuts down overnight and takes two days to settle. This new venue? Instant settlement, any time of day. You’ll be able to place orders in dollar amounts (say, £100 worth of shares rather than buying whole units) and fund your account with stablecoins—crypto tokens pegged to traditional currencies.
Tokenised Shares, Traditional Rights
Don’t worry—this isn’t some Wild West crypto experiment. Tokenised shareholders will keep all the usual perks: dividends, voting rights, and shareholder protections. The tokens are either digital versions of traditionally issued securities or natively issued digital securities, but both are fungible with their conventional counterparts.
The venue’s designed with regulatory compliance baked in, offering non-discriminatory access to all qualified broker-dealers. It’s blockchain tech wrapped in traditional market structure principles.
Why Now? The Push for Always-On Markets
This isn’t just the NYSE experimenting for fun. Global investors increasingly expect markets to match their schedules, not the other way round.
Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), which owns the NYSE, sees this as a “pivotal step” in operating on-chain market infrastructure for trading, settlement, custody, and capital formation. Translation: they’re building the plumbing for a new era of finance.
The Broader Digital Strategy
The tokenised trading platform is just one piece of ICE’s digital puzzle. The company’s also preparing its clearing infrastructure to support 24/7 operations and tokenised collateral.
ICE is currently partnering with major banks including BNY and Citi to support tokenised deposits across its clearinghouses. The goal? Let clearing members transfer and manage money outside traditional banking hours, meet margin obligations across time zones, and handle funding requirements globally.
The Competition Heats Up
The NYSE isn’t alone in this race. Nasdaq revealed plans last December for nearly round-the-clock trading of stocks and exchange-traded products (ETPs). Both exchanges are responding to the same pressure: financial markets are increasingly global, and investor behaviour doesn’t respect traditional trading hours anymore.
The question isn’t whether 24/7 trading is coming—it’s who’ll build the best platform for it.
What Happens Next?
The NYSE is currently seeking SEC approval with plans to launch later this year. That timeline depends entirely on regulators, who’ll need to weigh innovation against investor protection.
If approved, this could fundamentally change how retail and institutional investors access markets. Weekend trading. Instant settlement. Crypto-native funding options. It’s a significant shift from the 9:30am–4pm NYSE trading day we’ve known for decades.
Conclusion
The NYSE’s blockchain-based 24/7 trading platform represents a genuine evolution in market infrastructure—not just a tech gimmick. With instant settlement, stablecoin funding, and always-on access, it addresses real demand from global investors who want markets that match their lives. Whether regulators will approve it this year remains to be seen, but one thing’s clear: the future of stock trading looks nothing like its past. Stay tuned for regulatory developments—this could reshape how you invest.
FAQ
Q1: Will tokenised shares have the same value as regular shares?
A: Yes. Tokenised shares are fungible with traditionally issued securities, meaning they’re interchangeable and carry the same value. You’ll receive the same dividends and voting rights as conventional shareholders.
Q2: Do I need cryptocurrency to use this platform?
A: Not necessarily, though stablecoin funding will be an option. You’ll also be able to place dollar-denominated orders, meaning you can invest specific currency amounts rather than buying whole shares. The platform bridges traditional and crypto-native finance.
Q3: When will 24/7 trading actually launch?
A: The NYSE plans to launch later this year, but it’s pending SEC regulatory approval. There’s no confirmed date yet—regulators will need time to review the platform’s structure and ensure investor protections are in place.
Q4: How does instant settlement work?
A: Traditional stock trades take two business days to settle (T+2). Blockchain technology enables real-time settlement by recording ownership transfers immediately on a distributed ledger. You’ll own your shares the moment you buy them—no waiting period.
Q5: Is this safe, or just crypto hype?
A: The platform is designed to align with established market structure principles and regulatory frameworks. It offers non-discriminatory access to qualified broker-dealers and maintains traditional shareholder protections. It’s blockchain technology applied to regulated securities, not unregulated crypto assets.
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Effective Date: 15th July 2025
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