Venue operator 24X has urged the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to provide the firm with a temporary exemption to launch overnight trading for US equities.
In a response letter to the regulatory body’s application for public comment on the matter, published by the SEC on 25 February 2026, 24X highlights that the exemption would allow the regulated exchange to be available to traders sooner, and as a result, bring enhanced investor protections to the overnight market.
24X initially filed its original application for the exemption on 15 December 2025.
If the exemption is approved, 24X will be able to begin operating an overnight trading session from 9pm to 4am ET, Sunday to Thursday, before securities information processors (SIPs) are active and functioning on a 24/5 model.
This bypass will allow overnight trading on the exchange to occur without the required public market data feeds, making use of alternative or non-SIP consolidated data.
Dmitri Galinov, 24X chief executive and founder, said: “The global demand for US equities does not stop when the traditional trading day ends, and neither should the protections of a regulated national securities exchange. Overnight trading is already happening today on less-regulated venues that offer limited transparency.
“Our proposal simply allows that activity to take place on a regulated exchange, with the full suite of investor protections, surveillance, and transparency that comes with it. The technology, the data, and the clearing infrastructure are catching up quickly – the only remaining question is whether US investors will have the benefit of exchange-grade oversight while making overnight trades in US equities.”
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Additionally, the exchange confirmed that the relief would only remain in effect until the equity data plans are ready to collect, process and disseminate quotation and transaction information for the overnight session.
“As the pioneering national exchange innovator, 24X should not have to wait any longer until the SIP is ready,” Galinov added.
“This temporary exemption is a measured, pro-investor path that lets the market evolve into around-the-clock trading without compromising the core principles of the national market system.”
Currently, 24X is operating the first phase of its extended trading model, with US equities trading available from 4am to 8pm ET on weekdays.
The exchange went live in October 2025, after the SEC approved its registration application in November 2024, following an unsuccessful application in 2023.
24X’s offering aims to provides extended equity trading access for investors worldwide via broker-dealers which are members of the SEC-listed exchange.