Nasdaq CEO Says Tokenization Could Free Tens of Billions as 24/7 Trading Nears
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Oct 8
Nasdaq CEO Says Tokenization Could Free Tens of Billions as 24/7 Trading Nears
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Oct 8
Summary
Tens of billions of dollars tied up in collateral could be unlocked if Treasurys, equities, money market funds and cash flows are tokenized, Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman said at TOKEN2049 in Singapore.
That would make collateral more fluid across the financial system, she said, as institutional demand has grown over the past year alongside U.S. stablecoin rules under the Genius Act.
24/7 markets are a bigger operational challenge than an exchange-technology one, Friedman said, because banks would need continuous risk, collateral and system management in real time.
AI is central to that shift, she said, with Nasdaq already deploying digital agents in its risk platform that now make recommendations and could later take direct actions.
Retail investors have sought round-the-clock access for years, but Friedman said not every asset is liquid enough for 24/7 trading even as tokenization could widen global access to U.S. capital markets.