Nasdaq Seeks SEC Approval for Tokenized Stock Trading ∞ Adoption

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Briefing

Nasdaq Stock Market LLC has filed a pivotal rule change with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to enable the trading of tokenized equity securities and Exchange-Traded Products (ETPs) on its platform. This initiative marks a significant step toward embedding blockchain technology within the core U.S. equities market infrastructure, promising enhanced operational efficiencies and a modernized approach to asset management. The proposal outlines a mechanism for tokenized securities to trade with identical rights and regulatory oversight as their traditional counterparts, with initial token-settled trades anticipated by Q3 2026 pending regulatory approval and Depository Trust Company (DTC) readiness.

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Context

Traditional capital markets have long grappled with multi-day settlement cycles, opaque post-trade processes, and fragmented liquidity across various trading venues. These inherent inefficiencies contribute to increased counterparty risk, higher operational costs, and slower capital velocity. The prevailing operational challenge centered on modernizing the foundational infrastructure to support real-time value transfer and immutable record-keeping while maintaining robust investor protections and regulatory compliance.

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Analysis

This adoption directly alters the fundamental operational mechanics of equity and ETP trading and settlement. It establishes a pathway for tokenized securities to integrate seamlessly into Nasdaq’s existing order book and market structure, ensuring fungibility and identical material rights with traditional shares. The Depository Trust Company (DTC) will facilitate post-trade processing, including minting and delivering tokenized assets to participants’ digital wallets, signifying a profound shift in asset custody and transfer. This integration is designed to reduce settlement times, enhance transparency through distributed ledger technology, and consolidate liquidity, ultimately creating value by lowering operational overheads and mitigating systemic risks for enterprises and their partners within the financial ecosystem.

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Parameters

Filing Entity ∞ Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Regulatory Body ∞ U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Proposed Rule Change ∞ Form 19b-4 (SR-NASDAQ-2025-072)
Asset Classes ∞ Tokenized equity securities and Exchange-Traded Products (ETPs)
Settlement Mechanism ∞ Distributed Ledger Technology (Blockchain) via Depository Trust Company (DTC)
Key Requirement ∞ Tokenized securities must be fungible with traditional counterparts, share CUSIP, and provide identical material rights
Anticipated First Trades ∞ Q3 2026 (pending approval and DTC readiness)

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Outlook

The next phase involves public comment on the SEC proposal and the subsequent development of DTC’s blockchain-ready infrastructure. This foundational shift is poised to establish new industry standards for digital asset integration within regulated markets, potentially compelling other major exchanges and financial institutions to accelerate their tokenization strategies. This move solidifies Nasdaq’s competitive advantage in a rapidly evolving financial landscape, attracting new capital flows and fostering innovation across the entire securities value chain.

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Verdict

Nasdaq’s initiative to integrate tokenized securities into its core exchange infrastructure represents a decisive strategic pivot, affirming blockchain’s role as a fundamental enabler of future capital market efficiency and innovation.

Signal Acquired from ∞ Mondaq (via Vertex AI Search)