U.S. SEC begins prepping for around-the-clock trading that crypto treats as the norm - CoinDesk

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is beginning preparations for around-the-clock trading in U.S. equities, according to CoinDesk. The move would extend a market structure that has long operated within fixed daily sessions toward a model that crypto markets have treated as standard since their inception.

The significance lies in market infrastructure rather than any single asset. Round-the-clock equity trading raises operational questions around clearing, settlement, liquidity provision and surveillance, all of which currently rely on defined trading hours and overnight processing windows. Crypto venues, by contrast, have run continuously since launch, which is one reason the two markets have developed different liquidity patterns and risk controls.

For observers, the key point is that this remains a preparatory step, not an implemented change. What to watch is how regulators address overnight liquidity, investor protections and coordination with exchanges and clearinghouses. If extended hours advance, the more relevant question for markets may be whether traditional and digital asset trading converge on similar operating rhythms — and what that means for how each market prices risk outside conventional hours.