Stock Index Perpetual Contracts Poised to Enable 24/7 Trading and 2026 Price Discovery for U.S. Tech Stocks and Major Indices

COINOTAG News reports that Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, argues that Traditional Finance (TradFi) is pressing to defend its stock-trading moat. He notes the allure of offshore access to stock price risk and contends that stock index perpetual contracts could reshape weekend hedging and push 24/7 trading horizons.

Hayes highlights that stock index perpetual contracts currently show robust liquidity, with daily volume surpassing $100 million, and that the mature infrastructure supports rapid scale. As participants become familiar with contract specs, he forecasts the market could attract sizeable liquidity, enabling risk hedging for developments after market closes and accelerating 24/7 execution on major venues.

Looking ahead, Hayes contends that by late 2026 pricing discovery for marquee U.S. tech stocks and indices like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 may migrate toward the retail-focused perpetual contract market. Media coverage could reflect this shift as a reference for pricing away from traditional venues.