Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman (CFTC), Michael Selig, said U.S. financial markets must prepare for the large-scale tokenization of assets, on-chain finance, and the expansion of round-the-clock trading.

Speaking at the U.S. Treasury Market Conference at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Selig said developments in tokenization, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and 24/7 trading could re-shape financial markets over the next decade.

The CFTC is already preparing for the shift.

The agency has sought public comment on extending certain derivatives markets to 24/7 trading and issued guidance in May 2026 outlining regulatory considerations for continuous trading, clearing, and settlement.

Selig said tokenized real-world assets could enable near-instant settlement and real-time movement of collateral between clearinghouses, intermediaries, and end users.

The CFTC has also expanded eligible collateral to include certain payment stablecoins issued by national trust banks and said it intends to explore further ways to support responsible stablecoin use by exchanges, clearinghouses, and market participants.

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The comments come as the Securities and Exchange Commission separately moves to facilitate on-chain trading of tokenized securities while broader U.S. crypto legislation remains stalled in Congress.

Selig said the CFTC would not apply a one-size-fits-all approach to 24/7 markets noting that crypto and precious metals may be better suited to continuous trading than agricultural, energy, and some financial derivatives.

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