Hassan Maishera
TL;DR
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Blockchain.com and the New York Stock Exchange signed an agreement to explore access to tokenized US stocks and ETFs.
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The proposed service depends on the launch and regulatory approval of NYSE’s planned digital alternative trading system.
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NYSE’s platform is designed to support 24/7 trading, fractional shares, stablecoin funding, and immediate onchain settlement.
Blockchain.com and the New York Stock Exchange have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore giving Blockchain.com users access to tokenized versions of US exchange-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds.
The proposed service would connect Blockchain.com with NYSE’s planned digital alternative trading system, or ATS. If completed, the integration could allow eligible international users to trade tokenized securities outside conventional US market hours.
The product is not yet available. Its launch depends on NYSE completing the digital platform, obtaining required regulatory approvals, and finalizing its arrangement with Blockchain.com.
Blockchain.com Could Connect Users to NYSE’s Digital Platform
The agreement gives NYSE a potential distribution channel for its planned tokenized-securities marketplace while expanding Blockchain.com’s traditional-asset offerings.
Blockchain.com Executive Chairman, CEO and co-founder Peter Smith said connecting to the platform could extend access to tokenized securities across the company’s global customer base.
Blockchain.com reports more than 44 million confirmed accounts. However, availability would still depend on local laws, customer eligibility, and the final design of NYSE’s service.
NYSE Group President Lynn Martin said Blockchain.com’s international reach and experience with digital assets could support the distribution of tokenized stocks and ETFs after the platform launches.
A memorandum of understanding generally establishes the companies’ intentions to collaborate but is not necessarily a final commercial agreement. Neither company disclosed binding launch commitments, transaction volumes or revenue arrangements.
The firms also did not identify which stocks and ETFs would be included or when customers might receive access.
NYSE Platform Targets 24/7 Onchain Trading
NYSE announced its digital ATS in January as part of a plan to support continuous trading and onchain settlement.
The platform is expected to offer 24-hour, seven-day trading, fractional ownership, and funding through stablecoins. Transactions would settle onchain immediately rather than following the multi-day or next-day processes commonly used in conventional securities markets.
Fractional trading would allow investors to purchase part of a share instead of paying for an entire high-priced stock. Stablecoin funding could make it easier for users to move dollar-denominated value into the platform at any time, including when banks and traditional markets are closed.
NYSE said the system would support two types of assets: tokenized representations of conventional shares and securities issued directly in digital-token form.
Token holders would retain traditional shareholder rights, including dividends and voting, according to NYSE. Preserving those rights distinguishes a tokenized security from a synthetic product that merely tracks an asset’s market price.
The platform’s development and launch remain subject to regulatory approval. Blockchain.com’s proposed connection cannot go live until that underlying marketplace becomes operational.
The announcement follows the Securities and Exchange Commission’s introduction of an innovation exemption for certain onchain securities activities.
The five-year framework gives eligible trading venues and liquidity providers relief from selected existing requirements, potentially making it easier to develop markets for tokenized US stocks.
Eligible tokens must carry the same economic and governance rights as the conventional securities they represent. Synthetic instruments that only mirror the price of a stock are not covered.
The exemption could provide a clearer route for projects such as NYSE’s digital ATS, although individual participants must still satisfy the framework’s conditions and any other applicable securities rules.
Interest in tokenized assets has grown as traditional finance and cryptocurrency firms explore round-the-clock markets, programmable ownership and faster settlement. Citi Institute has estimated that tokenized assets could reach $5.5 trillion by 2030 under its base-case forecast.
Such estimates remain uncertain and depend on regulatory adoption, technical interoperability, investor demand, and the willingness of financial institutions to move existing assets onto blockchain networks.
Agreement Includes Crypto and Stock Market Data
Blockchain.com and NYSE also plan to exchange market information as part of their agreement.
ICE Data Services, a division of NYSE parent Intercontinental Exchange, intends to distribute Blockchain.com’s cryptocurrency market data and analytics to its institutional clients.
In the other direction, Blockchain.com plans to add selected ICE and NYSE data feeds to its application. Its users could then access real-time stock information alongside cryptocurrency prices and analytics.
Some of the market data will also be made available through June, Blockchain.com’s AI assistant focused on crypto.
Combining digital-asset and traditional-market information could help users compare prices, monitor cross-market trends, and research tokenized securities from one interface. The companies did not specify which data sets would be included or whether access would carry additional fees.
Blockchain.com currently provides tokenized US stocks and ETFs to eligible users outside the United States through a partnership with Ondo Finance.
The companies initially made more than 200 tokenized stocks and ETFs available across parts of Africa and South America in 2025. In February, they expanded the service to eligible customers in 30 European Economic Area countries.
Those products are accessed through Blockchain.com’s DeFi wallet and Ondo Global Markets.
A connection to NYSE’s planned platform could broaden Blockchain.com’s offering and link its users more directly with infrastructure operated by a major traditional exchange.
NYSE has also signed an agreement with Securitize, which is expected to participate in the digital ATS as a transfer agent and broker-dealer. Transfer agents maintain ownership records and help process changes in securities ownership, giving Securitize a key operational role in the planned system.
NYSE and its parent ICE have been expanding their presence in the tokenization space. Earlier this month, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, entered into an agreement with tZERO to develop infrastructure supporting public tokenized securities markets.
