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Nasdaq CEO Predicts Tokenization Could Unlock Billions in Capital

Adena Friedman highlights the potential of tokenization to transform traditional finance by enabling 24/7 trading and freeing up significant capital.

Adena Friedman highlights the potential of tokenization to transform traditional finance by enabling 24/7 trading and freeing up significant capital. This is an original Token Times brief synthesising 2 outlets (CoinCodex, Crypto.news), plus live market data, as of Sun, 11 Oct 2026 19:00:01 UTC.

Why it matters

Tokenization could revolutionize traditional finance by unlocking substantial capital and enabling continuous trading, potentially shifting how assets are managed and traded globally.

Covered by 2 outlets over about 2.7 h — Token Times synthesises them all into one brief
  1. CoinCodex
    Tokenization Could Free Up Billions in Capital, Nasdaq CEO Says ↗
  2. Crypto.news
    Nasdaq CEO says tokenization could unlock billions ↗
Key takeaways
  • Tokenization could unlock tens of billions in capital, according to Nasdaq CEO.
  • Blockchain adoption by Wall Street could enable 24/7 trading.
  • Traditional finance increasingly exploring blockchain for efficiency.
What the reporting agrees on

CoinCodex and Crypto.news both report that Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman believes tokenization could unlock billions in capital and support 24/7 trading as Wall Street embraces blockchain technology. While both outlets agree on the core message, Crypto.news specifies the amount as 'tens of billions in collateral,' whereas CoinCodex uses the more general term 'billions of dollars in locked capital.' Both highlight the connection to traditional finance's growing interest in blockchain but differ slightly in emphasis.

Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman has emphasized the transformative potential of tokenization in the financial sector. According to multiple outlets, Friedman believes that tokenization could unlock significant capital, potentially reaching tens of billions of dollars, by converting traditional assets into digital tokens.

The adoption of blockchain technology by Wall Street is seen as a key driver for this shift. Tokenization would enable 24/7 trading, a significant departure from the current market schedule, and could lead to more efficient asset management and trading practices.

Both CoinCodex and Crypto.news corroborate Friedman's views, noting that traditional financial institutions are increasingly looking to blockchain to enhance trading capabilities and unlock capital. While the exact amount of capital that could be freed up is not precisely defined, estimates suggest it could be in the tens of billions.

This development comes as the broader financial industry shows growing interest in blockchain technology. The potential benefits include increased liquidity, reduced transaction costs, and improved accessibility to global markets.

In the current market context, with the total crypto market cap at $2.91 trillion and Bitcoin showing a 24-hour gain of 0.91%, Friedman's comments add to the optimism around blockchain's potential to integrate with traditional finance. The Fear & Greed Index stands at 61, indicating a 'Greed' sentiment, reflecting the positive outlook for crypto and blockchain innovations.

The market when this published · October 11, 2026
Total market cap$2.91T
Bitcoin 24h+0.91%
Ethereum 24h+1.50%
BTC dominance57.9%
Fear & Greed61 · Greed
On-chain & primary-source check

Figures and sectors in this story, checked live against on-chain aggregators · October 11, 2026.

SectorTokenized real-world assets (RWA)$4.61Bacross 32 protocolsDeFiLlama ↗

Token Times reads these figures directly from on-chain aggregators (DeFiLlama, mempool.space) at build time — independent of what any outlet reported. Sector totals aggregate every protocol DeFiLlama tracks in that category. Values are live and will change.

Nasdaq CEO Predicts Tokenization Could Unlock Billions in Ca — questions & answers

What is tokenization and why is it important?

Tokenization is the process of converting rights to an asset into a digital token on a blockchain. It is important because it could unlock billions in capital and enable 24/7 trading.

How does tokenization benefit traditional finance?

Tokenization allows for more efficient asset management, increased liquidity, and continuous trading, which could transform how traditional financial institutions operate.

What is the current market sentiment regarding crypto?

The market sentiment is positive, with a Fear & Greed Index of 61, indicating 'Greed,' and a total market cap of $2.91 trillion.

Which outlets reported this story?

This is an original Token Times brief that synthesises reporting from CoinCodex, Crypto.news, with the key figures cross-checked for agreement across them. It is not a copy of any one article — follow the source links above for the original reporting.

In this storyNasdaq Company
Token Times Newsdesk Data-stamped

Token Times's newsdesk writes original briefs by synthesising coverage from across the crypto press — 50+ outlets including CoinDesk, The Block, Decrypt and Cointelegraph — cross-checking the figures they report — and verifying them against on-chain data from DeFiLlama and mempool.space — plus live market context (CoinGecko, Binance). We summarise and link to every source; we never reproduce full articles. Read our editorial standards and how we use AI. Not financial advice.

Market data verified against CoinGecko & Binance · October 11, 2026 ⛓ Timestamped at Bitcoin block #970,959 sha256:2f508c5e2daa7d14
Corroborated across 2 outlets, reported over about 2.7 h — this is an original Token Times summary with live market data, not the original article.CoinCodex · Oct 11 07:56 ↗Crypto.news · Oct 11 10:38 ↗

Original summary — not financial advice. This is an original Token Times brief that summarises a development reported elsewhere and adds live market data for context; it is not the original article and reproduces no part of it. Follow the source link above for full details. Crypto is volatile and high-risk — always do your own research.