Major U.S. stock exchanges are developing plans to introduce tokenized stocks to enable 24/7 trading. These digital tokens represent shares on a blockchain. The technology allows for instant settlement and fractional share ownership. This shift marks a departure from traditional exchange operating hours.
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq are pursuing these initiatives pending regulatory approval. In January 2026, the NYSE announced it was developing a platform for trading and settling tokenized securities. Nasdaq revealed its own equity token design in March 2026.
Nasdaq partnered with Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, to develop the offering. The exchange first proposed this framework to the SEC in September 2025. Nasdaq expects the platform to be operational in the first half of 2027.