Can You Trade Stock Tokens on Weekends? Trading Hours and Price Gaps
US market sessions in Asian time zones, where stock token prices come from when the market is closed, why premiums widen and gaps appear at the open, and how to choose a venue off-hours.
The most cited advantage of stock tokens is round-the-clock trading: after the US close and on weekends, tokens still trade. But prices outside market hours behave differently. This guide explains how off-hours trading works and what to watch.
US market sessions
| Session | US Eastern time | Singapore / Hong Kong (US summer time) | Singapore / Hong Kong (US winter time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-market | 4:00–9:30 | 16:00–21:30 | 17:00–22:30 |
| Regular | 9:30–16:00 | 21:30–4:00 next day | 22:30–5:00 next day |
| After-hours | 16:00–20:00 | 4:00–8:00 | 5:00–9:00 |
From 20:00 to 4:00 Eastern is the overnight session, offered by some brokers and alternative trading systems with thin volume. The market is closed all day Saturday, Sunday and on US public holidays. US daylight saving time usually runs from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November.
Where token prices come from when the market is closed
With no new stock trades, a stock token's price is set only by buyers and sellers on the venue. It takes cues from sparse after-hours and overnight trades and from sentiment; if major news breaks at the weekend, tokens move first.
A perpetual's index price usually stays near the last close while the market is closed, or follows the venue's own off-hours pricing rules, so the contract can drift from its index and funding changes with it.
Three things to watch
1. Premiums can widen
With thinner liquidity, tokens drift from the stock more easily. Each stock page on this site has a "premium over the last 30 days" section comparing average weekday and weekend gaps, so you can see how far that stock usually drifts when the market is closed.
2. Gaps at the open
If tokens priced in news over the weekend, the stock may open at a different level on Monday, and tokens then move toward it. Chasing moves while the market is closed carries the risk of a mismatch at the open.
3. Some venues limit off-hours trading
Most venues allow it, but some products pause, allow only closing orders, or lower leverage while the market is closed. Check the venue's notices and contract terms.
Choosing a venue off-hours
- Prefer venues and markets with high volume and tighter spreads; see the stock token volume ranking.
- Check live premiums and avoid venues that have drifted, or wait for the open.
- With perpetuals, watch funding while the market is closed; estimate holding costs with the funding rate calculator.
Summary
Stock tokens do trade on weekends and outside US hours, but then prices are set only by crypto traders and are more likely to drift from the stock. Treat off-hours trading as a way to react early, not as the same price you would get during the session.