CoinDesk
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission hosted a Thursday roundtable on extending U.S. securities markets to 24-hour, every-day trading, the same morning it issued an order approving a new exemption category for firms that want to open tokenized securities trading. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins told the crowd at the agency's Washington headquarters that "we're moving of course to a new day and night," and that tradeable events aren't constrained to market hours. Commissioner Hester Peirce added that "crypto markets certainly don't sleep," framing the policy push as a convergence between traditional finance and the always-on rhythm of digital assets.
Why it matters
The roundtable is the most explicit signal yet that the SEC under Atkins is prepared to dismantle the weekday, daytime-only structure that has defined U.S. equity and securities markets for decades. Atkins also used the event to amplify the agency's move on tokenization, ordering staff to consider how a "growth-friendly environment" can dovetail with protections against abusive naked short selling and settlement failures. The tokenized-securities exemption carries a five-year runway in which participating firms won't have to operate under the full weight of existing securities regulation.
Market impact
The structural read for crypto is direct: regulators are borrowing the round-the-clock cadence that has defined digital asset trading since Bitcoin's earliest days, and tying it explicitly to the tokenization of traditional securities. Peirce flagged the legitimate concerns, including wider spreads, price volatility, less time to handle technology issues, and overnight drama like social-media-driven selloffs, but Atkins said "several needed preparations are already underway or in place." Watch the rulemaking timeline and which exchanges, broker-dealers, and tokenization platforms step into the new exemption first. The firms that build the rails for always-on tokenized securities will define the next cycle of TradFi-DeFi convergence.
Frequently asked questions
-
What did the SEC announce about 24/7 trading?
The SEC hosted a Thursday roundtable on extending U.S. securities markets to 24-hour, every-day trading. Chairman Atkins said the agency is "moving of course to a new day and night" and that tradeable events aren't constrained to market hours.
-
What did the SEC do on tokenized securities?
The same morning as the roundtable, the agency issued an order approving a new exemption category for firms that want to open tokenized securities trading, with a five-year runway in which participating firms won't operate under the full weight of existing securities regulation.
-
Why is the SEC's 24/7 push significant for crypto?
Commissioner Hester Peirce said "crypto markets certainly don't sleep," framing the policy push as a convergence between traditional finance and the always-on rhythm of digital asset markets, and tying it explicitly to tokenization of traditional securities.
-
What risks did the SEC flag around extended trading hours?
Commissioner Peirce highlighted wider spreads, increased price volatility, less time to handle technology issues, and overnight drama such as social-media-driven selloffs hitting stocks while corporate offices are closed.
-
What is Atkins asking SEC staff to consider on tokenization?
Atkins said he has asked staff to consider steps that "dovetail a growth-friendly environment" with protections against abusive naked short selling, settlement failures, and other harmful market behavior, while enabling real-time inventory management.
CoinTelegraph
Crypto News
WatcherGuru
CryptoSlate
WuBlockchain