SEC to Discuss Preparations for 24-Hour Trading on American Exchanges

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is set to discuss preparations for 24-hour trading on American exchanges at a roundtable meeting on September 17, 2026. The agency has already approved applications from Nasdaq and NYSE Arca for extended trading hours, which will bring the US equity market in line with those of digital assets.

Nasdaq's new schedule will feature two sessions: a day session from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, and a night session from 9:00 p.m. ET to 4:00 a.m. ET the following day. NYSE Arca plans to launch its own 22-hour trading schedule in 2026, pending alignment of market data, clearing, and trading infrastructure.

The SEC's discussion will focus on operations, resilience, and settlement in continuous mode. Tokenized stocks, which are blockchain tokens that back real shares one-to-one, currently offer an advantage over traditional equities due to their ability to trade outside exchange hours. However, this edge will shrink as US exchanges adopt 24-hour trading.