Intercontinental wouldn’t commit to a specific time frame for reopening the physical floors, instead indicating that would “monitor events” before resuming in-person trades.

It’s not a surprising move, and might be crucial as officials rush to eliminate any large gathering that could rapidly spread the coronavirus at the heart of the outbreak. At the same time, it could also serve as a giant experiment. What happens if one of the world’s largest stock exchanges suddenly went all-digital? While many trades are already electronic, this could make a case for reduced dependence on traditional floors even after life returns to normal.