SEC and CFTC Push for 24/7 Trading Adaptation

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and CFTC Acting Chair Caroline Pham jointly announced on September 5 proposals to expand crypto market integration into traditional finance through continuous trading and relaxed derivative rules.

This initiative aims to align U.S. financial markets with the non-stop nature of digital assets, potentially increasing market efficiency and expanding investment opportunities nationwide.

SEC and CFTC Push for 24/7 Market Trading

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and CFTC Acting Chair Caroline Pham introduced measures for continuous trading in U.S. stock exchanges. They also proposed easing event and perpetual contracts’ restrictions and introduced an innovation exemption for DeFi protocols. This effort represents a strategic move to align traditional markets with the cryptocurrency sector’s always-on trading approach.

Such changes aim to drive liquidity and competitiveness within the U.S. financial space. By enabling stock exchanges to operate round-the-clock, assets like BTC, ETH, and others may witness expanded trading options, directly affecting market dynamics and global positioning.

Market analysts have noted this initiative as a positive advancement for U.S. markets. This step aligns with an existing July directive focusing on cryptocurrency trading. The regulatory harmonization and adaptation are expected to influence both market sentiment and investor strategies.

Impact on Crypto and Financial Markets

Did you know? Such proposals, reflecting a significant policy shift, highlight efforts to match the crypto market’s operational pace, reminiscent of past attempts to extend traditional trading hours, which met only moderate success.

Bitcoin (BTC) currently trades at $110,819.68, with a market cap of $2.21 trillion. The trading volume decreased by 5.80% over the last 24 hours, and BTC shows a moderate price decline of 0.47% within that period. Data from CoinMarketCap indicates its market dominance at 57.88% as of September 6, 2025.

The Coincu research team suggests these regulatory changes could lead to significant financial shifts for U.S.-based exchanges. The adaptation of perpetual contracts and a move toward 24/7 trading may improve market efficiency and liquidity, aligning more closely with global crypto trends.

Caroline Pham, Acting Chair, CFTC, – “The CFTC must be laser-focused on our mission to promote market integrity and liquidity in the commodity derivatives markets that are critical to the real economy and global trade.”