NYSE Parent ICE Is Building a 24/7 Tokenized Securities Trading Platform – And Wall Street Is Taking Notice

With input from Reuters, Bloomberg, and Business Wire.

In a move that blends old-school finance with cutting-edge tech, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) – the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange – is quietly building a platform that would allow tokenized stocks and ETFs to trade around the clock.

The project was revealed in filings and company announcements this week, and it’s already stirring interest in markets and crypto circles alike. What makes it stand out is not just the idea of tokenized securities – that’s been talked about for years – but the ambition to let them trade 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, breaking with the traditional NYSE hours that most investors are used to.

ICE describes the initiative as a platform for “tokenized securities”, meaning digital representations of conventional financial instruments like shares and exchange-traded funds. Those tokens live on distributed ledgers – essentially blockchain systems – but their economic value and regulatory treatment would still tie back to the traditional securities they represent.

According to ICE’s statement, the goal is to give market participants more flexibility, reduce settlement times, and tap into the growing ecosystem of digital asset trading. The platform is still in development, but ICE said it is working with major financial institutions and technology partners to get it off the ground.

Bloomberg reports that the trading venue is expected to let tokenized equities and ETF shares trade outside standard market hours, addressing a long-standing criticism of traditional exchanges that close early compared with global digital markets. Proponents say 24/7 trading could appeal to retail investors and global participants who want seamless access regardless of time zone.

This isn’t ICE throwing out a buzzword and calling it a day. The filings make clear the exchange operator is building real infrastructure – not just a pilot. ICE is positioning the platform as a regulated venue where traditional financial players, broker-dealers and institutional clients can operate alongside newer blockchain-native firms.

In its Business Wire announcement, ICE notes that tokenized securities can theoretically settle in near-real time and that the platform would support automated processes that traditional clearing and settlement systems can’t match. That’s one reason why backers see tokenization as more than a gimmick: the tech could make capital markets faster, cheaper and more accessible.

Of course, mixing tokenization with regulated securities trading raises obvious questions for regulators. The Securities and Exchange Commission has been watching tokenized assets closely, and any platform that handles trading of actual stocks and ETFs will need to stay on the right side of securities laws. ICE has said it’s working to ensure the platform meets all regulatory requirements.

Wall Street veteran observers describe the move as both ambitious and cautious: ambitious because it opens the door for digital assets to play a bigger role in mainstream finance, and cautious because ICE isn’t cutting corners on compliance. A well-regulated 24/7 venue could make digital securities more palatable to big financial institutions that have been reluctant to dive into crypto markets.

If ICE’s platform actually launches and attracts real liquidity, it could change how and when people trade stocks and ETFs. For decades, US equity markets have operated on a schedule: pre-market, regular session, and post-market. A true all-hours trading venue backed by the NYSE’s parent company would blur those lines and give investors choices they’ve never had before.

Critics will point to risks: thinner liquidity at odd hours, potential volatility, and regulatory headaches. But supporters say it’s a natural evolution – one that acknowledges that markets in 2026 are more global, more digital and more impatient than ever.

Whatever happens, the mere fact that NYSE’s corporate parent is building a 24/7 tokenized securities platform signals that the traditional and digital financial worlds are creeping closer together. And for investors who have always wondered what markets would feel like without a closing bell, that future could be arriving sooner than they think.