Nasdaq Takes On-Chain Stock Trading a Step Further: DeFi Platform Ostium Integrates Official Data Feed, Launches Perpetual Contracts Linked to US Stocks

May 19 — Arbitrum-based DeFi perpetual contract trading platform Ostium has become the first to integrate Nasdaq’s official data feed, launching on-chain perpetual contracts for individual U.S. stocks. Users can trade these stock-linked contracts directly via their crypto wallets, gaining access to a 24/7 market with no traditional trading hour limits. Ostium noted longstanding flaws in the traditional U.S. stock market: regional restrictions, steep brokerage entry thresholds, and slow settlement processes. The platform’s on-chain offering, by contrast, brings transparency, self-custody capabilities, and instant settlements. The Nasdaq partnership will also infuse its stock perpetual contracts with institutional-grade official market data, the company added. Since launching in 2024, Ostium has notched over $50 billion in cumulative trading volume and attracted more than 26,000 users. Its current contract open interest stands at roughly $91.6 million, per platform data. The on-chain stock perpetual contract market is expanding rapidly. Stork Labs data shows stock perpetual contracts made up nearly 20% of the RWA perpetual market’s trading volume last week. For context: ahead of Cerebras (CBRS)’ IPO, its on-chain perpetual contract price accurately reflected Nasdaq’s opening price early on, demonstrating strong market alignment. This marks Nasdaq’s second move into on-chain financial infrastructure in just two months. Previously, the exchange collaborated with Kraken’s parent company to develop tokenized stock market infrastructure — a clear signal that traditional finance giants are accelerating their bet on on-chain securities trading.