Nasdaq Embraces Crypto-Style Trading With 23-Hour Market Plan

Nasdaq's proposed schedule still includes a one-hour daily pause for processing and transition to the next trading day.

Nasdaq plans to add overnight stock trading from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. ET in December 2026, subject to SEC approval and other technical requirements.

BitGo CEO Mike Belshe and crypto analyst Nate Geraci say the move shows traditional markets are adopting ideas that crypto exchanges have used for years.

Nasdaq Plans 23-Hour Trading Five Days a Week

Nasdaq is seeking regulatory approval to run a nearly continuous trading week, 23 hours a day, five days a week. The plan adds an overnight session from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. ET, on top of the extended hours Nasdaq already runs, from 4 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m, with the core 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. session staying the primary pricing window, and the opening and closing crosses still setting official prices.

The overnight session runs from 9 p.m. Sunday through 8 p.m. Friday, with a one-hour daily pause for processing. Nasdaq is targeting Sunday, December 6, 2026, for the launch, pending SEC approval and readiness of the industry’s Securities Information Processor.

Some order types, including unpriced market orders and opening and closing auction orders, won’t be available overnight, and any order still open at 4 a.m. gets canceled automatically. Nasdaq Texas, PSX, and Nasdaq’s options exchanges keep their current schedules.