Blockchain.com and the New York Stock Exchange have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore access to tokenized U.S. stocks and exchange-traded funds through Blockchain.com's global platform.
The proposed arrangement would connect Blockchain.com's 44 million users with the NYSE's planned digital trading venue, subject to regulatory approvals. The platform could offer round-the-clock access to tokenized U.S. equities and ETFs, along with fractional ownership and faster settlement.
The deal also includes a data component. Blockchain.com could provide crypto market data and analytics to ICE data subscribers, while NYSE and ICE market data could become available across Blockchain.com's platform, according to the companies' September 23 announcement.
We're excited to announce our partnership with @NYSE to bring 24/7 access to tokenized U.S. equities and ETFs to users around the world.
— Blockchain (@blockchain) September 23, 2026
Another win toward making markets more globally accessible. pic.twitter.com/MOqWT2qsg9
NYSE has already laid the groundwork
The partnership builds on a project that NYSE announced in January. The exchange said its planned digital platform would support 24/7 trading of U.S.-listed equities and ETFs, fractional share transactions, dollar-sized orders and immediate settlement through tokenized capital. The system would combine NYSE's Pillar matching technology with blockchain-based post-trade infrastructure.
NYSE's plans have since moved beyond the initial announcement. In March, the exchange selected Securitize to help create and manage tokenized shares for stocks and ETFs. That partnership gives the project an established digital securities infrastructure provider as NYSE works toward its own tokenized securities venue.
The planned venue would support tokenized shares that remain fungible with traditionally issued securities, as well as securities issued natively in digital form. NYSE has also said tokenized shareholders would retain traditional dividend and governance rights.
That distinction matters because tokenized stocks do not automatically provide the same legal rights as conventional shares. The structure of the token and the rights attached to it depend on the product and regulatory framework.
SEC action changes the regulatory picture
The latest agreement comes less than a week after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a temporary, conditional innovation exemption for venues that trade certain tokenized National Market System stocks.
The SEC's September 17 order allows qualifying tokenized securities venues to operate with permissioned automated market makers and liquidity pools under specified conditions. The exemption is temporary while the commission considers further action on onchain securities trading.
The timing is important for NYSE's project because the exchange had already said its digital venue would require regulatory approval. The SEC's new framework provides a regulatory route for certain tokenized stock markets, although it does not automatically approve NYSE's planned platform or the Blockchain.com partnership.
The SEC has also emphasized that tokenized securities must comply with applicable investor protection and market structure requirements. The new framework therefore does not turn tokenized versions of every U.S. stock into immediately available products.
Blockchain.com already offers tokenized stocks
This is not Blockchain.com's first move into tokenized equities. The company launched tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs through its DeFi Wallet with Ondo Global Markets before this latest NYSE agreement.
Blockchain.com said in February that eligible users across Europe could access more than 200 tokenized stocks and ETFs through its wallet. The company had previously expanded the offering to users in Africa and South America.
Blockchain.com's own support documentation says its current tokenized stocks are backed 1:1 by the corresponding real-world assets and can be purchased with supported cryptocurrencies. The company also states that availability depends on the user's jurisdiction.
That existing product provides a practical example of how the proposed NYSE relationship could differ from a completely new market. Blockchain.com already has experience distributing tokenized equities to crypto users, while NYSE is developing the regulated market infrastructure for its own digital venue.
24/7 access still depends on the market structure
Peter Smith, CEO of Blockchain.com, said the partnership aims to remove some of the geographic and brokerage limitations associated with access to U.S. equities.
"By bringing U.S. equities onchain for our European users, we are providing self-custody solutions through our DeFi wallet that are faster, more efficient and completely self-owned that remain unmatched by traditional banks," Smith said in February when Blockchain.com expanded its European tokenized stock offering.
The broader market has already begun to test parts of the 24/7 model. Ondo announced in June that its tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs could support 24/7 minting and redemption for eligible users across several blockchains. That shows that continuous access exists in parts of the tokenized asset market, although the NYSE proposal would place the exchange's own infrastructure behind a regulated digital venue.
The NYSE and Blockchain.com agreement remains subject to regulatory approvals, so the proposed access is not yet available through the partnership. The companies have established a framework for distribution and data sharing, while the underlying NYSE digital venue remains part of a wider transition toward blockchain-based securities infrastructure.
Roman Zaika
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