Iran Tensions Test Financial Markets' 24/7 Trading Capabilities

The escalating situation in Iran is putting financial markets' ability to trade around the clock to the test. According to Odaily, market analyst Huang notes that amid the latest geopolitical conflicts, traders are bypassing traditional market hours by using blockchain infrastructure to trade assets like oil and gold on platforms such as Hyperliquid. Analysts suggest that the speed of information dissemination now surpasses the response mechanisms of traditional markets. News spreads instantly across time zones, but traditional trading systems are still bound by opening hours and weekend closures, causing prices to not reflect the latest information in real-time and often leading to volatility and liquidity shocks when markets reopen. In contrast, blockchain networks offer 24/7 operation and real-time settlement, allowing traders to adjust positions outside regular trading hours. This is seen as a complement or even an alternative to traditional market structures. During the Iran conflict, this "always-on market" model has further demonstrated its value. Analysts point out a core issue of structural mismatch between market infrastructure and the information environment. While traditional financial systems still hold advantages in liquidity and scale, time constraints are becoming a source of inefficiency, especially in a macro environment characterized by high volatility and frequent unexpected events. Meanwhile, on-chain derivatives platforms like Hyperliquid are proving the feasibility of round-the-clock markets and are gradually taking on some risk pricing functions during weekends and non-trading hours. However, the industry acknowledges that current on-chain systems face limitations in liquidity depth, performance, and institutional-grade risk control, making it difficult to completely replace traditional exchanges in the short term. Overall, the market is gradually shifting from "trading session-driven" to "information-driven perpetual trading," with competition at the infrastructure level accelerating.