London Stock Exchange eyes overnight trading as crypto runs 24/7

The London Stock Exchange is preparing to launch a separate night-time trading venue in the first half of 2027, according to the Financial Times. 

The planned market would extend access well beyond London’s standard trading day as investors increasingly seek ways to trade financial products across time zones.

The plan comes as crypto exchanges and tokenized equity platforms continue to offer longer trading windows than traditional stock markets. The LSE would not turn its main market into a 24-hour venue. 

Instead, it plans a separate platform that will initially focus on exchange-traded products linked to U.K. and U.S. markets.

LSE plans a separate overnight market

The proposed venue would operate from 5:00 p.m. until 7:50 a.m. London time, with a short closure from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for end-of-day processing. The LSE’s main market would keep its existing 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. schedule. The exchange plans to start with exchange-traded products rather than individual company shares.

LSE chief executive Julia Hoggett told the FT that retail traders showed growing interest “to use London, given our particular timezone, to gain exposure to not only UK assets but global assets.” The timetable could make the venue more accessible to investors trading during Asian hours while keeping London open for products tied to several major markets.

Traditional exchanges face growing demand for trading outside normal market hours. Crypto markets operate continuously, while retail trading platforms have also expanded pre-market and after-hours access to stocks. The LSE plan would give investors a regulated London venue during hours when its main order book remains closed, although the overnight market would begin with a narrower product range.

The move follows similar efforts elsewhere. As crypto.news previously reported, Nasdaq said it planned to introduce 24-hour weekday trading in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approval. Reuters also reported that Nasdaq, CME and Cboe have pursued longer trading hours as exchanges respond to changing investor behavior and growing global participation.

Tokenized equities add another around-the-clock option

The push for longer exchange hours is also developing alongside the growth of tokenized real-world assets. Tokenized stocks can give eligible investors blockchain-based exposure to equities and, depending on the product, support trading beyond the hours of the market where the underlying shares are listed. That structure differs from the LSE’s planned venue, but both developments address demand for wider trading access.

As crypto.news reported in July, tokenized stock transfers rose 105% in one month to $8.41 billion, while distributed value reached $2.16 billion, based on RWA.xyz data cited in market reports. The number of holders also exceeded 409,000 as activity across tokenized equity platforms increased.

Meanwhile, Backpack launched 24/7 trading for selected U.S. equities across more than 150 markets. The company also offers Solana-based tokenized versions that users can transfer between compatible wallets and redeem through its platform. According to Backpack, investors receive ownership of the underlying securities rather than synthetic exposure.

Crypto exchanges are building similar products. As previously reported, Binance launched bStocks in June, allowing eligible users to convert supported U.S. stock holdings into tokenized assets that trade 24/7. The first group included companies such as Nvidia, Tesla and Circle, with the platform saying the products are backed 1:1 by underlying securities.

LSE starts with ETPs as market structure changes

The LSE’s decision to begin with exchange-traded products gives the new venue a narrower starting point than platforms offering large stock selections or blockchain-based assets. ETPs can track broad markets and other assets without requiring the exchange to open overnight trading across every individual share listed on its main venue.

The Financial Times reported that the exchange sees London’s time zone as part of the opportunity, particularly as retail investors seek access to global markets outside standard local hours. The LSE has not yet disclosed a full product list, detailed fee structure or more precise launch date beyond targeting the first half of 2027.

At the same time, traditional financial firms are expanding their work around tokenized assets. As crypto.news reported, tokenized equity transfers and distributed value rose sharply in recent weeks, while DTCC continued work on a regulated tokenization service for selected securities. More than 50 firms have joined an industry working group connected to that initiative.

The LSE proposal would keep overnight trading within a traditional exchange structure rather than move listed products onto blockchain rails. Its main market would continue operating on the existing timetable, while the separate venue would initially focus on ETPs. The final operating model and product range remain subject to further details before the planned 2027 launch.