The New York Stock Exchange has spent the past year testing Avalanche technology for possible integration into its infrastructure, Ava Labs President Charlie Cooper said at Avalanche Summit in New York, as NYSE evaluates blockchain options for tokenized securities.

Cooper said NYSE has been reviewing both Avalanche’s technical capabilities and the economics of using the network. His remarks framed the work as part of a broader infrastructure assessment rather than a finalized rollout. He added that the exchange is weighing the business needs of the venue alongside the blockchain’s performance.

Michael Blagrund of Intercontinental Exchange, NYSE’s parent company, also said ICE has been actively engaging with the Avalanche team and that the platform meets many of ICE’s requirements. The companies did not disclose the scope of the testing, whether it involves production systems, or when a final decision on blockchain selection could be made.

The comments build on NYSE’s earlier tokenization push. In January, NYSE announced development of a platform for trading tokenized stocks and ETFs, though that initiative still requires regulatory approval. Cooper also said some trading venues could move to 24/7 trading within a year, while stopping short of saying whether the largest exchanges would do so.

Avalanche has been positioning itself more aggressively in real-world asset tokenization. Cooper pointed to its expanding role in that segment, including use in ticketing tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That wider tokenization effort provides context for why Avalanche is seeking deeper relationships with established financial market operators.

Why It Matters

This development is notable because it links one of the largest traditional exchange groups with a public blockchain network in a live infrastructure review, even if the process is still preliminary. The story is less about a confirmed chain win and more about how established market operators are testing tokenization as part of existing exchange architecture.

It also underscores that the next phase of tokenized securities will depend on both technical integration and regulatory structure. If major exchanges pursue blockchain-based issuance, trading, or settlement without replacing their current systems outright, tokenization could advance through gradual market-structure changes rather than a single full-scale platform shift.