Intercontinental Exchange, the owner of the New York Stock Exchange, said on Monday it has developed a new digital platform that will allow round-the-clock trading and on-chain settlement of tokenized securities, as it looks to tap growing global demand for U.S. equities.
The platform, which will require regulatory approval, is designed to support 24/7 trading, near-instant settlement, orders sized in dollar amounts rather than shares, and funding via stablecoins, ICE said. The initiative reflects rising investor appetite for continuous access to U.S. stock markets beyond traditional trading hours.
ICE’s move highlights how established market operators are increasingly experimenting with blockchain-based infrastructure to reduce long-standing frictions in equity markets, such as settlement delays and limited trading windows.
“Tokenization is not a fad. It is a technology that solves problems,” said Campbell Harvey, a finance professor at Duke University, adding that tokenized stocks are among the most immediate use cases.
Rival exchanges and brokers are also pushing into extended-hours trading. Nasdaq is seeking approval to allow stocks to trade 23 hours a day, five days a week, while firms such as Robinhood, Charles Schwab and Cboe Global have already expanded trading hours.
ICE said it is working with major banks including BNY and Citigroup to support tokenized deposits, underlining growing collaboration between traditional finance and digital-asset infrastructure.
