News Trading In the 24/7 Future: Who Will Win When Markets Never Sleep?

Imagine this scenario: A trader’s customized alert system wakes her at 3:17 AM after detecting unusual activity around a major semiconductor facility in Taiwan. Once, this would have given her hours to prepare before markets opened. But in a potential future with 24/7 equity trading, she would have mere minutes as semiconductor stocks could already be reacting.

After quickly cross-referencing and confirming the alert against other intelligence feeds, she might execute her first trade while mainstream financial media remains silent. By the time the news breaks widely, she would have already adjusted her trading positions.

This scenario isn’t science fiction. As Yasin Dus, co-founder of Synoptic, explains, in a potential 24/7 trading world, the distance between information discovery and market reaction could collapse to minutes, regardless of the hour. Success would increasingly depend on having access to the right specialized intelligence sources at all times.

The Coming Exchange Transformation

In reality, major exchanges are already actively working on extended hours plans. Of note, NYSE Arca has filed with the SEC to extend its trading window to 22 hours per day, five days a week. Cboe EDGX has announced plans to offer 24×5 trading for all NMS‑listed stocks, subject to regulatory review. And even Nasdaq Inc. plans to seek SEC permission to operate 24 hours per day on its primary U.S. exchange by the second half of 2026.

While these plans are still awaiting full regulatory approval and implementation, they represent more than schedule adjustments — they signal a transformation driven by multiple forces. “Cryptocurrency markets have demonstrated an appetite for round-the-clock trading, while international investors increasingly demand access during their business hours,” Dus explains.

“At the same time, the technological barriers that once necessitated limited trading windows have largely disappeared. Even though today’s extended sessions have thin liquidity and limited participation, the pending market-fueled transformation is going to require entirely new approaches to information gathering, analysis and execution for professional traders.”

The Information Arms Race

As markets shift toward continuous operation, a critical question emerges. Where will market‑moving information come from when markets never sleep? The current financial information ecosystem was built around standard market hours. This synchronized model breaks down in a continuous market. No single information source maintains comprehensive coverage across all regions, assets and time zones.

This fragmentation is already evident. Independent researchers have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to uncover market‑moving events ahead of traditional channels, providing crucial minutes or hours of advantage to traders with access to these specialized sources.

Trading information doesn’t wait for official channels. It emerges from sources who excel at discovering particular types of market‑moving events — satellite imagery analysts, court filing specialists, regulatory experts and countless other niches.

For traders, this creates a significant challenge. How will they connect with dozens of specialized information sources, each potentially discovering critical market‑moving events at any hour? The competitive advantage shifts from speed of delivery to something more fundamental: who discovers the information first.

Marketplace Solutions Emerge

As the challenge of continuous market intelligence intensifies, new infrastructure solutions are emerging to address information fragmentation.

One approach gaining traction is the information marketplace model exemplified by Synoptic, which was founded by Yasin Dus together with co-founders Karim Dus and Georgiy Nefedov, and connects traders to specialist vendors who discover intelligence that moves markets across diverse domains. This marketplace for actionable data represents a fundamental departure from traditional subscription services.

As Dus explains, “Instead of paying for each information source, traders can gain access to a diverse ecosystem of vendors with specialized discovery capabilities. This includes satellite imagery analysts, independent journalists, alternative data vendors and OSINT researchers who track geopolitical developments.

“By using a unified event and news trading platform, traders can efficiently manage their connections to dozens of specialized sources of information, each of which can potentially uncover market‑moving events before mainstream reporting — the difference between profit and missed opportunity in a 24/7 market.”

Projecting Challenges and Opportunities

If extended trading hours become reality, professional traders will likely operate in continuous shifts across time zones. Their information dashboards will need to integrate feeds from dozens of specialized intelligence vendors through single unified interfaces. While algorithmic systems can help filter signals, human judgment will remain essential for validating potential market‑moving information.

In this “new normal” for trading, the workflow would emphasize the seamless integration of machine and human intelligence, the critical importance of specialized information vendors and the continuous nature of trading that would erase the once‑clear boundaries of the market day.

The transition to 24/7 markets would create profound challenges. Continuous markets would demand continuous attention, requiring reorganization into dispersed teams with carefully designed handoff protocols. The psychological impact on traders could be significant. Risk management systems designed for daily resets would need to adapt to continuous operation.

Yet the opportunities could be substantial for those who adapt successfully.

As Dus notes, “Extended hours will likely feature information asymmetry peaks when fewer professionals are actively watching market activity. The first‑to‑discover advantage will compound as markets shift to extended hours. When significant events occur outside traditional hours, traders with access to specialized intelligence will be able to act while most of the market remains unaware.”

Preparing Now

The potential 24/7 trading transition targeted for 2026 could arrive faster than many realize. Those that begin preparing early may be better positioned than those that wait until implementation.

Dus advises, “Preparation should begin across multiple dimensions: establishing relationships with specialized intelligence providers, developing continuous coverage capabilities and rethinking trading strategies for a market that operates 24/7.”

Success in this potential new environment will require reimagining how market‑moving information is discovered, validated and acted upon. Those who solve the information fragmentation challenge will likely emerge as the winners.

Investing involves risk and your investment may lose value. Past performance gives no indication of future results. These statements do not constitute and cannot replace investment advice.