The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will hold a public roundtable on September 17 at its Washington, D.C. headquarters to discuss the feasibility of 24-hour equity trading. The agenda signals that Wall Street is beginning to overhaul legacy routines and adopt operational standards that have been standard in the crypto asset industry for years.
SEC Chair Paul Atkins addressed this operational transition, stating, “We are heading into a new day - and night - in the US equity markets.” The planned shift in market hours will introduce new logistical challenges for exchange operators. The Washington forum is tasked with evaluating technical readiness, operational capacity, and underlying infrastructure resilience to ensure systems can support trading in a market that never sleeps.
Traditional Exchanges Line Up
The push for extended trading hours comes directly from major global stock exchange operators. Nasdaq has led the effort, engaging in active discussions with US regulators since March regarding a 24-hour, five-day-a-week trading model. The exchange has even targeted a rollout in the second half of 2026, assuming all necessary approvals are granted on schedule.
The race to expand market access has also become a broader global trend. The London Stock Exchange is currently drafting plans to launch a dedicated overnight trading facility slated to begin operations in early 2027. In the US, Cboe has also joined the ranks of institutions upgrading their infrastructure to accommodate trading activity well beyond conventional market hours.
Closing the Gap with Crypto
For years, the ability to execute trades whenever market sentiment shifts belonged exclusively to crypto users. The digital asset industry has established new expectations among retail investors, demonstrating that asset exchange systems should run around the clock without being restricted by weekends or conventional closing hours.
The upcoming SEC roundtable in September will be a pivotal turning point for this shift. If approvals for extended hours are granted, retail stock investors will finally receive access comparable to crypto traders. Instead of queueing orders overnight, they will be able to execute trades immediately without waiting for Wall Street’s opening bell the next morning.
Reported by Cointelegraph.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
