Chainlink is expanding its work with real-world assets and adding support for tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs in 24/5 mode. The new data streams are built on the already utilized Chainlink Data Streams technology.
The service will transmit market data for stocks and ETFs throughout all trading sessions, including evening and nighttime hours. Updates will be available five days a week.
For decentralized protocols, this simplifies working with on-chain stocks and ETFs. These instruments can be used not only during standard exchange trading hours, but almost continuously, as is common in the crypto market.
Competitive Environment
The extended trading format is gradually becoming less of a rarity. Exchanges are increasingly experimenting with launching markets for stocks and commodities outside of standard trading hours, in 24/5 and even 24/7 mode.
Recently, the New York Stock Exchange joined this trend. It announced work on a platform for trading tokenized securities. The project is being considered as groundwork for a round-the-clock format, including weekends.
Crypto exchanges took similar steps a bit earlier. Kraken opened access to markets based on CME with trading five days a week. BitMEX went further and launched perpetual contracts on stocks with a 24/7 mode. Among the available instruments are shares of Amazon, Apple, Circle, Coinbase, Meta, Nvidia, Robinhood, Tesla and the S&P 500 index.
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Coinbase Derivatives has also expanded its operating mode. The platform launched round-the-clock trading of futures on a number of altcoins after completing the acquisition of Deribit.
Chainlink reported that its new RWA solution will be integrated by several crypto platforms at once. Among them is Lighter, which this month began launching perpetual stock contract markets in 24/5 mode, as well as BitMEX. ApeX, HelloTrade, Decibel, Monaco, Opinion Labs and Orderly Network will also connect to Chainlink 24/5 U.S. Equities Streams.
Lighter CEO Vladimir Novakowski noted that integrating the new data streams will allow the platform to expand perpetual contract trading beyond standard trading hours. According to him, this will make it possible to maintain fair and fast trade execution without loss of data quality and reliability.
New Use Cases
The Chainlink solution is based on a clear logic. Oracles transmit off-chain data, such as bid and ask prices, trading volumes, and other market parameters, directly to smart contracts. However, the new integration opens up far more possibilities.
Chainlink notes that 24/5 data streams for U.S. stocks enable the launch of new yield and market exposure strategies. This includes structured products, vaults, credit and prediction markets, as well as the creation of synthetic stocks and funds in on-chain format. Data streams will be available on more than 40 blockchains, all in accordance with the Chainlink Data Standard.
The problem with on-chain stock data has existed for a long time. Most solutions use a single price point, and only during standard trading hours, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Everything that happens outside this session is effectively left out for on-chain markets.
Because of this, there are gaps in pricing and additional risks during evening and nighttime hours. In such conditions, it is difficult to build sustainable financial products tied to stocks.
The launch of 24/5 data streams is seen as the first step toward solving this problem. The next step is to move toward broader coverage and working with data in an almost continuous mode.
