Blockchain.com and NYSE Group agree to explore 24/7 tokenized stock trading
Blockchain.com and NYSE agree to explore 24/7 tokenized stock trading
Blockchain.com and NYSE Group announced an agreement on Sept. 23 to explore giving Blockchain.com customers 24/7 access to tokenized U.S.-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) through NYSE's planned digital trading venue. An ETF is a fund that holds a basket of assets and trades on an exchange.
The agreement covers joint product development, not the launch of a finished service. Blockchain.com Executive Chairman Peter Smith said connecting to the "NYSE digital ATS" would extend access to tens of millions of the company's users around the world. An ATS is an alternative trading system, a venue that matches buyers and sellers but is not registered as a national stock exchange.
NYSE has not announced which countries would be eligible, Reuters reported. Blockchain.com's release describes the intended audience as customers "around the world."
Key points from the announcement
- The deal is an exploration and joint product development effort between Blockchain.com and NYSE Group.
- The intended trading venue is NYSE's planned digital platform for tokenized securities.
- Blockchain.com says its app has more than 44 million confirmed accounts.
- Eligible countries have not been announced.
- NYSE has said the venue is subject to regulatory approvals.
NYSE's tokenized venue is still under development
NYSE announced its tokenized-securities platform in January. The exchange said the design combines its Pillar matching engine with blockchain-based post-trade systems. The planned venue would support 24/7 operations, stablecoin funding, immediate settlement and multiple blockchains for custody and settlement. A stablecoin is a crypto token designed to hold a steady value, usually one U.S. dollar.
The venue would handle both tokens fungible with conventionally issued shares and securities issued natively as digital tokens. Token holders would receive traditional dividend and governance rights, and qualified broker-dealers would get access on a nondiscriminatory basis, NYSE said.
In a February interview, ICE executive Michael Blaugrund said the platform expected to interface with digital transfer agents and institutional wallet infrastructure, and that some technology choices had not yet been announced publicly. ICE is NYSE's parent company. Jon Herrick, identified by ICE as the New York Stock Exchange's chief product officer, said in February that the back half of 2026 was a "very realistic" rollout window, and that work with the SEC, its Crypto Task Force and FINRA would drive the timeline.
How the SEC's new relief fits in
The SEC granted temporary relief on Sept. 17 allowing Tokenized Securities Venues to trade tokenized National Market System stocks through permissioned automated-market-maker pools without being treated as exchanges under the Exchange Act. An automated market maker prices trades using pooled funds and software rules instead of a traditional order book.
The five-year relief requires a venue to verify that the tokenized NMS stock it makes available gives holders the same rights and privileges as an equivalent class of traditional stock. It also requires the venue's smart contracts to be auditable, public and deployed on a public, permissionless ledger.
The SEC order defines covered venues around automated-market-maker liquidity pools. NYSE's January release describes a Pillar matching engine and blockchain-based post-trade systems, while the Blockchain.com announcement calls the planned venue NYSE's "digital ATS."
Market data will flow both ways
The agreement also creates a two-way data relationship. ICE Data Services will distribute Blockchain.com's crypto market data and analytics to its clients, while Blockchain.com plans to add ICE and NYSE feeds to its app.
Earlier tokenized stock work at Blockchain.com
The NYSE deal follows Blockchain.com's Ondo Finance partnership. In February, Blockchain.com said eligible users in 30 European Economic Area states could buy, sell and hold more than 200 tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs through its DeFi wallet. It said the products had previously been introduced in Africa and South America.
What is confirmed
- Blockchain.com and NYSE Group announced the agreement on Sept. 23.
- The agreement is an exploration, not a live service.
- NYSE announced its tokenized-securities platform in January and says it is subject to regulatory approvals.
- The SEC issued five-year temporary relief for Tokenized Securities Venues on Sept. 17.
What is still unclear
The two companies have not announced which countries would be eligible for the service. The February comment that the back half of 2026 was a "very realistic" rollout window is a stated expectation, not a confirmed schedule, and Herrick tied the timing to work with the SEC, its Crypto Task Force and FINRA.
Why this matters for crypto users
If it moves ahead, the arrangement would link a large crypto platform to a major U.S. exchange's planned digital venue, with the stated aim of giving crypto users round-the-clock access to tokenized versions of U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs. The data deal would also put crypto market data in front of ICE Data Services clients and ICE and NYSE data inside Blockchain.com's app.
Sources
Newisty Editorial Team covers technology, cryptocurrency, digital products, online platforms, developer tools and the wider digital economy. Our content is researched from official sources, company announcements, public documentation, market data and other primary or reputable sources. Articles are reviewed and edited before publication for clarity, accuracy and useful context.