Nasdaq Advances Tokenized Stocks Plan Toward SEC Approval, Aims to Bring On-Chain Securities and ETF Trading to Mainstream Markets

Nasdaq’s Head of Digital Assets Strategy, Matt Savarese, emphasized that the SEC approval of the tokenized stock initiative remains a top priority, with the team intent on advancing the proposal as quickly as possible while incorporating public feedback to refine the plan.

Nasdaq envisions tokenization within a disciplined framework, not to upend the existing securities system, but to expand participation and push tokenization into the mainstream under the SEC‘s oversight, adopting an investor-centric and responsible rollout.

The exchange previously submitted a rule change to permit regulated venues to trade tokenized stocks and ETFs on its platform; if approved, Nasdaq would be the first major U.S. exchange to offer on-chain securities trading alongside traditional equities, signaling a shift in market infrastructure.