SEC Greenlights Tokenized Trading on NASDAQ

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) officially approved NASDAQ’s plan to launch trading of tokenized stocks and ETFs. This decision marks one of the most significant milestones in the integration of blockchain into traditional financial markets.

According to the approved rule (SR-NASDAQ-2025-072, filed back in September 2025), NASDAQ will introduce tokenized securities that are fully interchangeable with traditional shares.

What will be available at launch:

• Stocks from the Russell 1000 Index (including Nvidia, Tesla, and other blue-chip companies)
• Major ETFs tracking large indices (S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, and others)

Key feature - tokenized stocks will trade in the same order book as traditional shares under the exact same ticker and CUSIP number. They will have identical pricing, order priority, and full ownership rights, including dividends and voting rights. Clearing and settlement will continue through the Depository Trust Company (DTC) under its pilot tokenization program.

The DTC infrastructure itself is expected to go live in the second half of 2026, after which NASDAQ will provide at least 30 days’ advance notice before trading begins.

Additionally, NASDAQ has partnered with crypto exchange Kraken to distribute tokenized stocks to international investors, particularly in Europe and globally.

Why this is historically significant

This is not just a technical pilot. Blockchain is no longer an “exotic” tool, it is becoming core infrastructure for the world’s largest stock market. Following tokenized Treasuries and BlackRock funds, blue-chip equities are next in line.

Real World Assets (RWA) analysts believe this opens the door to:

• Accelerated settlement (potentially T+0)
• True 24/7 trading
• Fractional ownership
• “Programmable” corporate actions

The crypto community’s reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. RWA leaders are calling it a “landmark moment” and a “massive boost for real-world asset tokenization.” This confirms that tokenization is moving from the experimental phase to mass adoption in a fully regulated TradFi environment.