TL;DR
- Chainlink launched 24/5 on-chain data streams for U.S. stocks and ETFs, enabling near real-time pricing beyond regular market hours.
- The new system uses a pull-based update model with sub-second data delivery, which reduces gas costs and supports more advanced trading logic for DeFi protocols.
- The rollout targets an equity market valued at nearly $80 trillion, accelerating the integration of tokenized stocks into on-chain financial infrastructure.
Chainlink is extending its reach beyond crypto-native assets by integrating U.S. equities into decentralized finance through continuous 24/5 data streams. The new offering allows DeFi protocols to access reliable stock and ETF pricing during pre-market, after-hours, and overnight sessions. This development addresses a structural limitation that has kept tokenized equities from functioning effectively on blockchains that operate around the clock.
Chainlink And The U.S. Stock Market Data Gap
On-chain trading of U.S. equities has historically faced pricing blind spots once traditional exchanges closed. Developers often paused trading or accepted elevated risk due to stale data, limiting liquidity and adoption. Chainlink’s expanded data streams resolve this issue by maintaining consistent pricing coverage throughout the trading week. Additional metadata, including bid-ask spreads and market status flags, allows protocols to dynamically adjust risk parameters as liquidity conditions change.
The system differs from conventional oracle feeds. Instead of pushing frequent updates, Chainlink uses a pull-based model that delivers data only when a transaction occurs. This structure enables sub-second responsiveness while avoiding the high gas costs associated with constant on-chain reporting. The design supports more complex trading strategies, including high-frequency use cases, without overloading blockchain networks.
24/5 Equities Streams For DeFi Trading
With 24/5 equities streams now live, decentralized platforms can support perpetual futures and synthetic products linked to U.S. stocks and ETFs. Several derivatives exchanges already rely on the data to list equity-based contracts with no expiry dates, reflecting demand for continuous access to traditional markets through blockchain infrastructure.
Chainlink is also working to replicate the full lifecycle of equities on-chain. Partnerships with Swift, Euroclear, and the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation focus on automating corporate actions such as dividends, stock splits, and mergers. This infrastructure ensures tokenized assets remain aligned with changes to their underlying securities, reducing manual intervention and operational risk.
The timing coincides with increased interest from legacy financial institutions. The New York Stock Exchange recently outlined plans for a blockchain-based venue with extended trading hours for tokenized stocks and ETFs. Chainlink’s data layer complements this trend by providing the real-time inputs required for accurate pricing and settlement.
