To truly understand the significant differences between traditional stocks and digital currencies in terms of trading and settlement, we need to deeply grasp the core “components” and “rules” that make up each ecosystem. We can view them as two entirely different games: one a rigorous, multi-party collaborative “professional league,” and the other a code-as-law, open-to-all “open world.”
In today’s era of the global digital wave, we’ve become accustomed to instant transfers and near-instant payments. Therefore, many people are confused: why, after clicking “sell” on a stock, does my funds not immediately clear in full and become available, but instead takes one or two business days? This is precisely a crucial and historically significant concept within traditional stock trading – settlement.
prompt: Why does traditional stock trading require the concept of settlement?
Unlike traditional stock markets with defined opening and closing times, the digital currency market has attracted the attention of global investors due to its 7x24-hour continuous trading feature. This characteristic has also raised a core question: how are digital currencies cleared and settled in a world without a “market close” concept? Does it completely overturn these concepts in traditional finance? The answer is that digital currencies not only have clearing and settlement, but the way they are implemented and their system design are key to supporting all-day trading.