Nasdaq is preparing to extend U.S. stock trading to 23 hours a day, five days a week, with a planned launch date of Dec. 6, 2026. According to PANews, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved the related proposal on April 10, though full rollout still depends on system upgrades at the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation and the Securities Information Processor. Under the plan described by Nasdaq North American Markets Senior Vice President Chuck Mack, regular trading would run from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, followed by a one-hour maintenance break, with overnight trading from 9:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. The move is aimed at capturing more global order flow, especially from Asia, where the added trading window would overlap with local daytime hours. PANews also frames the shift as a response to pressure from crypto-native markets, where tokenized equities already trade around the clock and settle faster than traditional securities. The report notes that platforms including Hyperliquid and Binance have attracted users to onchain stock products, particularly younger investors. At the same time, tokenized stocks have been expanding quickly within the real-world asset sector. The Block data cited by PANews shows their share of the RWA market has risen to 14.9% from 5.1% at the start of the year. RWA.xyz data in the report shows sharp gains in holders, transfer volume, active addresses and distribution value over the past 30 days, suggesting that competition between traditional exchanges and onchain equity markets is moving into a more direct phase.

Odaily reported, citing data from MSX.COM, that U.S. storage-related stocks were broadly lower in premarket trading. Micron Technology (MU.O) fell 4.8%, while SanDisk (SNDK.O), SK Hynix (SKHY.O), and Western Digital (WDC.O) were down about 5.5%. The report also noted that MSX.COM is a decentralized RWA trading platform that has listed hundreds of RWA tokens. Its offerings cover U.S. stock and ETF token underlyings including AAPL, AMZN, GOOGL, META, MSFT, NFLX, and NVDA. No further market details were provided in the source item.

Optical communications stocks and related exchange-traded funds moved lower in U.S. premarket trading on Aug. 18, according to market data from BIT (bit.com). Roundhill Light Modulator ETF (LYTE) fell 4.3%, while pure-play photonics ETF FOTO dropped 4.2%. Among individual names, Corning (GLW) declined 4.48%, Coherent (COHR) lost 5.76%, Marvell Technology (MRVL) slid 4.7%, Lumentum Holdings (LITE) fell 4.52%, and Ciena Corporation (CIEN) was down 3.2%. The move reflected broad weakness across the optical communications segment before the U.S. market open.

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission said on Aug. 18 that it welcomed a new policy signal from the National Financial Regulatory Administration supporting mainland insurance funds’ participation in financial market connectivity between the mainland and Hong Kong. The arrangement includes support for mainland insurance institutions to invest in Hong Kong exchange-traded funds through the Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect mechanism. According to the SFC, the policy adds to the options available to mainland insurers seeking overseas asset allocation through Hong Kong and reflects continued support for deeper financial market connectivity between the two sides. SFC Chairman Dr. Timothy Lui said the regulator appreciated the long-standing backing from the financial regulator for Hong Kong’s capital markets and cross-border market links, adding that the new measure broadens offshore allocation channels for mainland insurance capital and supports closer capital market coordination between the mainland and Hong Kong.

Gate founder and CEO Dr. Han said in an interview with The Economist Enterprise that the company is moving beyond its roots as a crypto trading venue and building a broader financial infrastructure that links digital assets with traditional finance. The report said Gate has expanded into a multi-layer product lineup that includes tokenized assets, derivatives and stock trading services, with Gate Stocks now supporting equities listed in the United States, Hong Kong and South Korea. The interview also highlighted a wider industry shift as more traditional financial products, including stocks, ETFs, foreign exchange and metals, enter the digital-asset ecosystem. Dr. Han said digital-asset platforms are no longer dealing only with technical issues, but also with risk management, user protection and regulation. According to the report, Gate is continuing its compliance expansion across multiple jurisdictions and has provided third-party audits and open-source Proof of Reserves since 2020. The company is also bringing AI infrastructure into Web3 through products including Gate AI, Gate MCP and GateClaw, tying AI into trading, wallets and other services as it positions itself as a broader bridge between digital assets, traditional finance and AI applications.

Harvard University’s endowment stopped cutting its Bitcoin ETF exposure in the second quarter of 2026, according to its latest 13F filing cited by The Block. As of June 30, Harvard Management Company held 3,044,612 shares of BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT), worth about $101.4 million, unchanged from the prior quarter. The move ended two straight quarters of reductions after Harvard trimmed the position by 21% in the fourth quarter of 2025 and by another 43% in the first quarter of 2026. IBIT ranked 11th among Harvard’s 19 disclosed holdings and made up 2.4% of its $4.26 billion reported portfolio. The value of the stake fell by roughly $15.6 million during the quarter because of IBIT’s price decline, not because Harvard sold shares. Harvard’s gold-related holdings were larger, with combined exposure to the iShares Gold Trust and SPDR Gold Trust at about $171.2 million. Other U.S. university funds also mostly stood still in the second quarter. Dartmouth, Brown University and the University of Illinois Foundation all kept their disclosed crypto-related positions unchanged. Outside the university segment, institutional activity was more mixed, with Mubadala and the Abu Dhabi Investment Council holding steady while Morgan Stanley reduced IBIT and JPMorgan increased both its IBIT and BlackRock Ethereum ETF positions.

Xinhuo Research Institute said Bitcoin came under pressure last week as several negative signals hit at once, leaving the market waiting for a clearer catalyst. The group pointed to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s cancellation of a planned crypto rulemaking meeting, the postponement of a tokenization-related "innovation exemption" topic without a new date, and roughly $390 million in outflows from spot Bitcoin ETFs after two straight weeks of net inflows. It also cited a persistent negative premium in the Coinbase Bitcoin Price Index and a drop in the Fear and Greed Index to around 34. The institute said that catalyst may arrive this week. It highlighted an expected White House meeting with crypto and prediction-market industry executives on Aug. 19, possible participation by senior officials from the SEC and Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the CFTC’s first Innovation Advisory Committee meeting on Aug. 20. Discussion tied to the CLARITY Act may also continue in September. Xinhuo said these events are likely to send positive policy signals and could help repair market confidence at the margin if constructive comments emerge. On the macro and industry side, the report said cooling U.S. inflation and softer retail data have sharply reduced expectations for a September rate hike, with the probability falling to about 33%, while FedWatch shows Dec. 9 as the earliest possible date for a first hike this year. It also said capital moving into AI infrastructure is tightening overall crypto market liquidity.

Crypto exchange Kraken has opened access to U.S. stock trading for users in Europe, adding another traditional finance offering to its platform. Eligible users can now buy and sell U.S. equities directly through Kraken, according to the company’s announcement cited by ChainCatcher. The move expands Kraken’s lineup beyond digital assets and adds to its push into broader investment products. Based on the information provided, Kraken has spent recent years advancing compliance efforts while widening its product range. Alongside cryptocurrency trading, it has been gradually bringing in traditional securities products such as stocks and exchange-traded funds, or ETFs. The latest rollout is positioned as part of that broader strategy and is aimed at meeting demand from European users for a one-stop investment service that combines crypto and conventional financial assets on a single platform.