SEC Prepares for 24/7 Trading; Chair Atkins Says Crypto Markets Never Sleep

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) held a roundtable to discuss extending U.S. stock market hours to 24/7, aiming to align with the crypto market. SEC Chair Paul Atkins emphasized that market events occur outside traditional hours and introduced an 'innovation exemption' for tokenized securities to improve efficiency and reduce settlement failures. Commissioner Hester Peirce noted that while 24/7 trading offers opportunities, it also introduces risks such as increased volatility and technical challenges.