Sleep Is for the Weak: SEC Wants US Stock Markets Open All Day, Every Day, Like Crypto 🌙

The US Securities and Exchange Commission will hold a public roundtable on Sept. 17 at its Washington, DC headquarters to examine moving US equity markets toward 24-hour trading, the regulator said. SEC Chair Paul Atkins framed the shift in a statement on Thursday, saying, "We are moving towards a new day – and night – in the US equity markets," and adding, "With the expansion to overnight trading, I'm excited at the prospect of US equity markets aligning with those markets that already trade continuously."

The session will cover preparations to support overnight trading and the operations and resiliency required for a round-the-clock market, according to the SEC. The roundtable enters the agenda as multiple global venues expand or plan near-24-hour schedules, a model long familiar to cryptocurrency exchanges such as those hosting continuous trading in assets including $BTC and $ETH.

Cboe Global Markets has separately announced plans to launch 24-hour stock trading, and the London Stock Exchange is reportedly preparing a night-time trading venue targeted for early 2027. In March, Nasdaq said it had begun engaging with US regulators about offering 24-hour trading five days a week on its stock market, with a target launch in the second half of 2026 subject to "regulatory approval and alignment."

The gathering marks a formal step in the SEC's review of overnight trading, with the agency set to gather input from market participants ahead of any structural changes to US equity trading hours.