What Financial Assets Can I Trade on Weekends?

Financial markets traditionally operate within specific hours, typically aligning with weekday business operations in major global financial centers. This structure often leads to a common perception that trading activities cease entirely during weekend periods. However, this general rule has notable exceptions within the diverse landscape of financial assets. Understanding which assets remain tradeable outside conventional market hours, and the unique characteristics of such trading, can provide a more comprehensive view of the modern financial ecosystem. This article explores the avenues for weekend trading and the attributes that define these less traditional market environments.

Weekend Market Status

Major financial markets, such as stock exchanges and bond markets, are generally closed on weekends. For instance, the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ typically operate from Monday to Friday. Similarly, bond markets and most futures and options markets also adhere to a Monday through Friday schedule. These closures provide a period for market participants to pause, process information, and for settlement systems to function without continuous trading pressure.

In contrast, cryptocurrency markets operate on a continuous 24/7 basis, including weekends and public holidays. This perpetual availability stems from the decentralized and global nature of cryptocurrencies. Unlike traditional exchanges tied to specific geographic locations and business hours, cryptocurrency trading occurs across a distributed global network of computers and participants worldwide. This global accessibility means that trading can happen across various platforms and time zones without interruption.

Cryptocurrency Trading on Weekends

Cryptocurrencies are the primary financial assets that can be actively traded on weekends, offering continuous market access. This 24/7 trading is facilitated through various platforms, primarily centralized and decentralized exchanges. Centralized exchanges (CEXs), like Coinbase or Binance, operate under a central authority that manages and processes transactions. To trade on these platforms, users typically undergo a Know Your Customer (KYC) verification process, which involves providing personal information to comply with anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.

Once an account is established and funded, a wide variety of cryptocurrencies are available for trading. These include major assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum, stablecoins such as Tether (USDT), and numerous altcoins.

Trading involves placing orders to buy or sell these digital assets, with fees typically ranging from 0% to 1.5% per trade. Fees vary by exchange and whether the user is a “maker” (adding liquidity) or “taker” (removing liquidity). For instance, maker fees might range from 0-0.2%, while taker fees can go up to 0.5% or higher. Transaction amounts can also influence fees, with larger trades sometimes benefiting from tiered fee structures.

Decentralized exchanges (DEXs) offer an alternative by allowing peer-to-peer transactions directly between traders without an intermediary. These platforms utilize smart contracts on blockchain networks to facilitate trades, meaning users maintain custody of their funds. While DEXs often have lower trading fees, typically between 0.1% and 0.5%, users must also account for blockchain network fees, known as “gas fees.”

For tax purposes, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) treats cryptocurrency as property, not currency. This means that every transaction, including trading or selling, can have tax implications, with gains or losses needing to be reported on tax returns. Starting January 1, 2025, crypto brokers are required to report gross proceeds from sales and exchanges on a new tax form, Form 1099-DA, with cost basis reporting beginning in 2026.

Other Assets with Weekend Trading Potential

Beyond cryptocurrencies, opportunities for weekend trading in other asset classes are significantly limited for the general public. The foreign exchange (Forex) market, while known for its 24-hour operation during the weekday, closes on Friday afternoon, typically around 4 PM EST. It reopens on Sunday evening, around 5 PM EST, as Asian markets begin. During this weekend period, the market is effectively closed for major banks and financial institutions.

While some brokers may offer limited access to certain currency pairs or synthetic instruments over the weekend, liquidity is extremely low. This reduced liquidity means there are fewer active buyers and sellers, which can lead to wider bid-ask spreads. It also makes it challenging to execute trades at desired prices. Trading in such conditions is generally not advisable for active strategies due to the heightened risk of price slippage. Other traditional asset classes, such as commodities or equities, do not typically offer weekend trading for retail investors, adhering strictly to weekday market hours.

Characteristics of Weekend Trading

The trading environment for assets available on weekends, predominantly cryptocurrencies, exhibits distinct characteristics compared to weekday markets. Liquidity, which refers to how easily an asset can be bought or sold without significantly affecting its price, is often lower on weekends. This reduced participation occurs because many institutional and professional traders are less active during these times. Lower liquidity can lead to wider spreads, which is the difference between the buying and selling price, increasing transaction costs for traders.

Volatility, or the rate at which the price of an asset changes, can be more pronounced and unpredictable during weekend trading. With fewer participants and lower trading volumes, even smaller transactions can have a more significant impact on prices, leading to sharp upward or downward movements. The absence of traditional economic news releases or the influence of institutional activity, which typically provide market direction during weekdays, contributes to this unpredictable environment. These conditions mean that price movements can be less influenced by fundamental factors and more by speculative retail activity or even larger individual trades.