SEC Commissioner Peirce: Tokenized stock venues may take shape next quarter

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce and SEC Crypto Working Group Chief Legal Counsel Taylor Lindman stated in a joint interview that, under the SEC's new innovation exemption, the first tokenized stock trading venues could begin to take shape as early as next quarter. Lindman mentioned that institutions expect companies to release the required notices outlining their operational plans in the coming months, which will be the first public indication of which companies intend to enter the new market. He believes there will be a lag from the announcement to the first companies submitting their notices, possibly at some point next quarter.

Last week, the SEC issued a five-year conditional exemption allowing eligible platforms to facilitate the licensed trading of tokenized versions of U.S. listed stocks on public permissionless blockchains through automated market makers and liquidity pools. This relief has taken effect, but venues must issue notices and outline operations, and notify the SEC within one business day after the announcement. Lindman described this model as more on-chain finance rather than DeFi, with each venue having a designated individual or entity responsible for operations and compliance with the exemption conditions.

Peirce responded to industry concerns about limits on the number of stocks and trading volumes, stating that the limits are high enough for companies to operate feasibly. She views the restrictions as an iterative approach to bringing tokenized stocks into regulated markets, with the five-year relief not being permanent but rather a bridge to long-term rules. Another potential constraint is the issuer veto right: venues must give listed companies 30 days to object before offering tokenized versions of their stocks created by non-affiliated third parties. Peirce does not expect widespread objections.