Nasdaq’s Blockchain Ballet: Will Wall Street Waltz or Stumble? 💃🕺

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On a crisp September morn in the year 2025, Nasdaq, that venerable bastion of traditional finance, decided to dip its toes into the tempestuous waters of blockchain. With a flourish of bureaucratic quills, they submitted a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), a move as daring as a nobleman attending a peasant’s ball. Their aim? To allow member firms and investors to trade tokenized equities and exchange-traded products (ETPs) on their hallowed exchange. Ah, the romance of innovation! 🌟

Nasdaq’s President, Tal Cohen, took to LinkedIn-that modern-day salon of thought-to proclaim the virtues of this integration. “Less friction, faster settlements, and automated processes,” she declared, as if conjuring a utopia where traders no longer need their afternoon tea to steady their nerves. Cohen, ever the pragmatist, assured the world that this venture would “leverage the strengths of US equities” while “scaling blockchain benefits responsibly.” One can almost hear the ghost of Turgenev chuckling at such lofty ambitions. 😏

The mechanics of this endeavor, as revealed in Nasdaq’s newsroom Q&A, are as intricate as a Russian novel. Participants may choose between tokenized and traditional forms at order entry, with the Depository Trust Corporation (DTC) handling clearing and settlement for tokens. Chuck Mack, Nasdaq’s Senior Vice President of North American Markets, waxed poetic about the potential: “Streamlined operations, reduced settlement times, and improved transparency,” he intoned, as if describing the perfect samovar. 🫖

“Nasdaq’s proposed rule changes would enable member firms and investors to trade tokenized versions of equity securities and exchange-traded products (ETPs) on our markets. Our goal is to integrate digital assets into Nasdaq’s current infrastructure and systems, which will advance financial innovation while maintaining stability, fairness, and investor protection,” said Mack, his words dripping with the gravitas of a man who has read too many manifestos.

Mack, ever the pedagogue, explained that tokenized securities are but digital shadows of their traditional counterparts, holding the same value and rights. “No separate markets, no diluted liquidity,” he assured, as if warding off the specter of chaos with a cross of regulation. 🧙♂️

BlackRock launched its BUIDL Treasury fund on Ethereum, amassing over $500 million by mid-year, while Fidelity followed suit. Even the World Economic Forum, that august body, noted the potential for cross-border efficiency. 🌍

By September 2025, the market had soared to $24 billion, a 380% increase from 2022. Ondo Finance tokenized over 100 US stocks and ETFs on Ethereum, while Trust Wallet brought tokenized equities to its 200 million users. The tokenization wave, it seems, is unstoppable. 🌊

Headline Today:

Trust Wallet (200M+ users) brings tokenized U.S. stocks & ETFs on-chain, powered by Ondo + 1inch

The tokenization wave isn’t slowing down. Every week, new moves show how close we are to a future where real-world assets live fully on-chain.

Here’s what’s fresh…

– Bellasuga (@HARDAY_DANIEL) September 4, 2025

Nasdaq’s proposal, much like a well-timed entrance at a ball, parallels these developments, bridging the chasm between TradFi and DeFi. Robinhood’s EU platform, offering 24/5 tokenized stock trading since early 2025, is but a fellow dancer in this grand waltz. Will Nasdaq lead or follow? Only time will tell. 🎭

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2025-09-09 00:39