The U.S. SEC approved Nasdaq’s proposal to permit certain securities to trade in tokenized form, with the Depository Trust Company handling clearing and settlement. Eligible Nasdaq participants can opt to settle trades as blockchain-based tokens instead of standard book-entry; tokenized shares will trade alongside traditional shares on the same order book, at the same price and with identical rights, ticker and CUSIP. The SEC said the structure preserves investor protections, surveillance, data reporting and settlement timelines. Nasdaq is developing issuance frameworks and partnering with Kraken; ICE has invested in OKX as exchanges pursue tokenized stocks and crypto products.

The SEC approved Nasdaq’s tokenized-securities proposal and confirmed DTC will handle clearing and settlement; tokenized shares will trade alongside traditional shares with identical rights and identifiers, and the SEC said investor protections, surveillance, reporting and settlement timelines are preserved. The approval and exchange partnerships indicate industry momentum but the summary describes process and safeguards rather than an immediate market event.