Blockchain.com and NYSE Group signed a memorandum of understanding to offer tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs through the New York Stock Exchange’s planned 24/7 digital trading venue, according to an announcement. The partnership pairs a crypto exchange with 44 million confirmed accounts across more than 70 jurisdictions against NYSE’s infrastructure for blockchain-based securities trading.
The arrangement includes data-sharing between the firms. NYSE, owned by Intercontinental Exchange, is building a digital alternative trading system (ATS), a regulated marketplace operating outside traditional exchanges. The venue promises 24/7 trading and instant on-chain settlement, departing from standard market hours and settlement timelines.
Peter Smith, CEO and co-founder of Blockchain.com, framed the deal as a matter of access. “People shouldn’t be limited in owning stocks based on where they happen to live or the brokerage and information they may or may not have access to,” Smith said.
Tokenized stocks are blockchain-based tokens representing shares of listed companies. Backers argue they enable fractional ownership, trading outside market hours, and faster settlement compared to traditional equity markets.
The move arrives as regulatory clarity expands. The SEC recently unveiled an “innovation exemption” allowing qualifying venues to trade tokenized U.S. stocks on public blockchains without registering as exchanges. Coinbase, a competitor crypto venue, launched tokenized stocks on Base, an Ethereum layer-2 network, for non-U.S. users in August.
Blockchain.com confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO in May. NYSE announced plans to build its digital trading venue in January.
