Will 23-Hour Stock Trading Steal Bitcoin's Thunder?

The big news this week: Nasdaq just filed to extend trading to 23 hours a day, five days a week. Launch targeted for Q2 2026.

It appears this moved is inspired by cryptocurrency’s 24/7 model.

But here’s the question I haven’t seen anyone ask but us. Could this divert retail attention away from Bitcoin?

Retail Diversion Is Possible

• Attention is finite
  The same retail money that flows into Bitcoin when stock markets are closed could find a new home in overnight stock sessions. Imagine the volatility of Tesla or Nvidia in the dead of night, with all the familiarity of traditional equities and none of crypto’s existential uncertainty. For many retail traders, that’s an upgrade.

• The “24/7” moat erodes
  Part of Bitcoin’s appeal has been its modernity. Stock markets felt antiquated by comparison, closing for nights and weekends like a corner store. Near-24/5 trading changes that perception. Suddenly, equities feel just as cool.

• Bitcoin Already Acts Like a Risky Tech Stock

  Bitcoin basically moves the same way as tech stocks on the Nasdaq. When tech stocks go up, Bitcoin goes up. When they drop, Bitcoin drops too. Since they’re so similar, the transition from Bitcoin to overnight tech stocks will be natural.

This is speculative. Until stocks go live 23 hours a day, we won’t know if mass retail will flock from crypto to extended-hours equities. The two markets may grow in parallel.

But the question is worth asking: if stocks can offer the same 3am adrenaline rush, does Bitcoin lose its edge?