Traders can now bet on the S&P 500 around the clock without ever touching a traditional stock exchange

Markets Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email Traders can now bet on the S&P 500 around the clock without ever touching a traditional stock exchange S&P Dow Jones Indices licenses its flagship index for crypto trading on Hyperliquid, as perpetual futures gain traction beyond traditional markets. By Olivier Acuna | Edited by Oliver Knight , Aoyon Ashraf Mar 18, 2026, 3:13 p.m. Make us preferred on Google The stock market never has to close for crypto traders as the S&P 500 moves onchain. What to know : S&P Dow Jones Indices has licensed the S&P 500 to Trade[XYZ] to launch the first officially approved S&P 500 perpetual futures contract on the Hyperliquid blockchain. The new product lets eligible non-U.S. investors trade leveraged, on-chain S&P 500 exposure around the clock using real-time index data, even when traditional stock markets are closed. The launch underscores S&P's push to expand its benchmarks into digital markets and has coincided with rising trading volumes and gains in Hyperliquid's HYPE token. S&P Dow Jones Indices announced Wednesday that it is bringing the S&P 500 to the blockchain via the Hyperliquid platform, making it easier for investors to trade the most widely tracked equity index 24 hours a day. The company said it licensed its flagship stock index to Trade[XYZ], which is launching the first officially approved S&P 500 perpetual contract on the Hyperliquid blockchain. In simple terms, this means eligible non-U.S. investors can trade the S&P 500 onchain, around the clock, without using traditional stock exchanges. Perpetual futures contracts, or "perps," are derivative instruments without expiration dates that allow investors to place bets on an asset's price without owning it, using funding rates, typically every few hours, to keep prices aligned with spot markets. Their infinite duration (perpetual futures contracts never expire, unlike traditional contracts), high-leverage options, and round-the-clock access have made them extremely popular in the crypto space and have generated billions in daily trading volume across exchanges. For the S&P 500, it is the first time it has been turned into a perpetual product with official backing from S&P. It also uses the firm’s real-time index data, bringing a more traditional finance standard into crypto trading. This guarantees the accuracy of index trading while the traditional market remains closed. S&P says the goal is to expand where and how its indexes can be used. “This collaboration expands access” to its benchmarks in digital markets, said S&P’s Chief Product Officer Cameron Drinkwater. 24//7 trading The move opens the door for non-U.S. investors to get leveraged exposure to the S&P 500 through a blockchain-based platform. For example, if big macro news hits on the weekend, when the market is closed, traders traditionally need to speculate on how the S&P 500 will move on Monday, when the market opens. However, with these new perpetual contracts, traders can place bets immediately and with accuracy as soon as news breaks. Recently, crypto traders were able to trade oil futures on decentralized exchange Hyperliquid on a weekend, when the first missile hit Iran, while traditional oil markets remained closed. Trade[XYZ] runs on Hyperliquid, a decentralized network built for fast trading. The platform says its markets are always open, unlike stock exchanges that close after hours and on weekends. XYZ markets have exceeded $100 billion since October, with an annualized run rate of more than $600 billion. The news seems to have helped HYPE, the native token of the Hyperliquid platform. The token is up 2.2% over the past 24 hours, 14.2% over the past 7 days, and 35.5% over the past month. Hyperliquid has recently become a crypto trader's favorite platform for trading markets outside traditional finance. Recently, Maelstrom CIO and BitMEX Co-Founder Arthur Hayes said traders are increasingly using Hyperliquid to access markets unavailable on traditional platforms, noting that the HYPE token could reach $150, citing the platform's strong revenue, real trading activity, and disciplined token supply. Trade[XYZ] said the S&P 500 is just the starting point as it looks to bring more traditional assets onchain. “The S&P 500 is a natural starting point. It represents the most widely tracked equity index on earth and has been the defining benchmark for global equities for decades," said Collins Belton, chief operating officer and general counsel of Trade[XYZ]'s parent company. The announcement builds on S&P DJI's prior decentralized finance initiatives, including its recent launch of the S&P Digital Markets 50 index , the company said. Read more: 2026 Marks the Inflection Point for 24/7 Capital Markets More For You Bitcoin hash rate is tumbling as Iran war lifts energy prices By James Van Straten | Edited by Stephen Alpher 21 minutes ago A falling hash rate and the resultant pressure on miners could signal another potential capitulation phase, which could push prices down further What to know : The Bitcoin network hash rate has declined roughly 8% in the past week to 920 EH/s, likely tied to energy market disruptions in the Middle East. Bitcoin mining difficulty is set to fall as much as 10%, marking one of the largest downward adjustments over the past five years. A sharp drop in hash rate often coincides with periods of miner stress and downside pressure on bitcoin prices. Read full story Latest Crypto News Key U.S. senator on crypto market structure bill negotiation: 'We think we've got it' 3 minutes ago Bitcoin hash rate is tumbling as Iran war lifts energy prices 21 minutes ago Bank of Korea adds two banks to digital won trials as real-world testing begins 54 minutes ago Stripe-led payments blockchain Tempo goes live with protocol for AI agents 1 hour ago CoinDesk 20 performance update: index falls 3.1% as all constituents trade lower 1 hour ago Large investors are doubling down on crypto, but getting a lot pickier about risk 1 hour ago Top Stories Bitcoin quickly pulls back to $72,300 as Iran fears team up with poor U.S. inflation data 2 hours ago U.S. SEC issues first-ever definitions for what crypto assets are securities 18 hours ago Powell's comments on oil, inflation are likely to guide bitcoin traders 3 hours ago UK lawmakers urge ‘immediate moratorium’ on crypto political donations 3 hours ago Stratton wins Illinois Senate primary, defeating crypto-backed Krishnamoorthi 12 hours ago Bitcoin’s rally runs into 'sell the news' risk ahead of Fed decision 4 hours ago