SEC Chair Paul S. Atkins announced that the commission is advancing preparations to expand U.S. stock market trading to 24 hours, aiming to enhance investor responsiveness, global participation, and liquidity. Key infrastructure is already being deployed, with DTCC launching a "23x5" trade capture system to support clearing and settlement, while industry participants have established overnight price bands and risk control requirements for trading venues. Atkins highlighted tokenization as a potential solution for real-time inventory management within the securities industry. He stated that integrating tokenized assets could improve operational efficiency, reduce settlement failures, and mitigate risks associated with naked short selling as the market transitions toward extended trading hours.