Nasdaq's head of digital assets explains exchange's push to launch trading of tokenized stocks

NASDAQ's Digital Asset Strategy - NASDAQ has been involved in digital assets since 2021, launching the NASDAQ crypto index and further immersing in the space [1] - NASDAQ filed an application with the SEC for a proposed rules change to allow for the trading of tokenized stocks and ETPs [1] - The primary goal is to bridge the digital asset world and the traditional world, prioritizing investor-first principles [3] - NASDAQ aims to integrate tokenized assets into current market structures, applying current securities laws [7] Tokenized Assets and Market Impact - Tokenized shares will trade under the same ticker and CUSIP, fully fungible with their traditional counterparts, offering investors a choice in holding [5] - The trading of tokenized assets on NASDAQ aims to improve efficiency and enhance audit trails [12] - Near-term benefits include process efficiencies on the post-trade side, with potential for atomic instant settlement in the long term [13][14] - Mid-term benefits include collateral mobility for assets, enhancing capital efficiency by allowing equity to be used in collateral pools [15] - Tokenization enhances utility beyond the trade itself, with potential for better access for proxy and enhancements around corporate actions [17] Convergence of Traditional Finance (TradFi) and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) - The convergence of TradFi and DeFi is seen as a combination of traditional risk management, compliance, and regulation with the programmability of DeFi [36] - Stablecoins gained significantly in 2025, and their use in collateral management, along with tokenized treasuries, money market funds, and equities, could drive the next phase of adoption [37][38] NASDAQ's Infrastructure and Offerings - NASDAQ offers exchange technology, powering over 130 markets globally, including crypto markets using their matching engine technology [28] - NASDAQ has a crypto index and reference rates used globally for benchmarking [29] - NASDAQ acquired Calypso through the Adenza acquisition, integrating it with blockchain rails for collateral mobility [29] - NASDAQ offers data products and a surveillance business used globally to monitor markets for manipulation, including crypto markets [31][32]