The Securities Traders Association (STA) will hold its 93rd Annual Market Structure Conference on October 14–16, 2026, at the JW Marriott Washington, DC, bringing together industry leaders and regulators to discuss developments shaping U.S. capital markets. Under the theme The Future in Focus, the conference will address tokenization, prediction markets, artificial intelligence, overnight trading and evolving regulatory priorities. In an interview with Traders Magazine, Jim Toes, President and CEO of the Security Traders Association (STA), discusses the key themes, anticipated highlights and market structure developments likely to have the greatest impact over the coming year.

How does this year’s conference build on last year’s “Redefining the Market” theme, and what has changed most significantly in the market structure conversation over the past 12 months?

Last year’s theme, Redefining the Market, spoke to an industry in the midst of rapid change. This year’s theme – The Future in Focus – reflects how much of that change has since taken shape. Developments that seemed speculative less than a decade ago, from the rise of prediction markets to the tokenization of securities, are now becoming reality. The biggest shift over the past 12 months has been the clarity coming from regulators and legislators, which has moved the conversation toward implementation and what it will take to get it right.

What are the biggest themes you expect to dominate discussions at this year’s conference, and why are they particularly important for the industry now?

Our program will focus on the key forces shaping the equities, options, and ETF markets, including tokenization, prediction markets, overnight trading, artificial intelligence, and capital formation across public and private markets. What makes these topics so timely is how closely they now intersect – tokenization with ETFs, extended hours with liquidity and risk management, and prediction markets with existing regulatory frameworks. Many of these developments are already underway, and for most firms, the time to prepare is now rather than once the rules are final.

Which speakers are you particularly looking forward to hearing from, and what perspectives do you expect them to bring to the conversation?

We’re honored to welcome Jamie Selway, Director of the SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets, for a keynote interview. With so much regulatory activity underway, his perspective on the Commission’s priorities will be particularly relevant to the industry. We also look forward to a discussion with FINRA President and CEO Robert Cook and FINRA’s Stephanie Dumont. Having regulators and market participants in the same room is what makes these conversations collaborative and productive, and STA is proud to serve as a neutral forum for that dialogue.

Which panels or sessions are you personally most looking forward to this year, and what makes them stand out?

There’s a great deal of anticipation around our prediction markets panel, which brings together participants from Kalshi, DraftKings, and Robinhood. Prediction markets have moved quickly into the market structure conversation, and attendees are eager to hear how these platforms fit within regulated trading and the broader oversight framework. Our tokenization panel, featuring leaders from Securitize, DTCC, and zerohash, is another highlight. With core market infrastructure now actively engaged, the discussion will focus on what it takes to move tokenization from concept to widespread adoption.

The agenda covers areas including tokenization, prediction markets, AI, overnight trading, and public and private capital formation. Which of these developments do you think could have the greatest impact on market structure over the next year?

All of these developments will matter over the long run, but overnight trading is likely to have the most immediate impact over the next year. Moving toward a nearly continuous trading day touches every part of the ecosystem – liquidity provision, market data, clearing, settlement, and risk management. Tokenization may prove more transformative over a longer horizon, and the two are closely linked, as both point toward markets that operate more continuously. The decisions the industry makes in the coming year will lay the groundwork for both.

Last year’s conference drew record attendance. What are you expecting in terms of attendance and industry representation this year, and is there anything new attendees should look out for?

With more than 900 industry professionals registered, this year’s attendee list is the most senior the conference has ever drawn – including more than 30 CEOs, over 100 C-suite executives, and roughly 200 heads of trading and other business areas. For first-time attendees, some of the most valuable moments happen outside the formal program – in hallway conversations and at our networking receptions, where there’s direct access to industry leaders and peers. Early-career attendees should also look out for our first-ever STA Young Professionals Forum. Designed specifically for emerging talent but open to all attendees, this new session gives rising professionals direct access to the discussions and networking that shape our industry’s future. Many of our attendees find value in sessions outside their day-to-day focus, which is part of why so many return year after year.