SEC Prepares for 24-Hour Stock Trading as Wall Street Adopts Crypto-Style Markets

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is taking steps towards allowing 24-hour trading in U.S. stock markets, a move that could bring the traditional market closer to the always-open model familiar to crypto traders.

On September 17, the SEC will hold a public roundtable to discuss preparations for extended trading hours, including exchange and broker readiness, overnight surveillance, settlement, cybersecurity, market-data continuity, and liquidity during longer trading hours.

The meeting will bring together representatives from major financial firms such as Robinhood, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), BlackRock, Nasdaq, Jane Street, Charles Schwab, DTCC, Citadel Securities, Citi, and others to discuss the challenges and benefits of extended trading hours.

While some exchanges and platforms are already expanding access beyond regular U.S. market hours, the SEC has not announced a rule requiring stocks to trade around the clock. However, with Nasdaq planning to introduce a new overnight session from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. ET on December 6, 2026, as part of a move toward 23-hour weekday trading, it's clear that the industry is moving towards longer trading hours.