CME Group to Open 24/7 Crypto Futures Trading on Globex
New York, May 19, 2026 – The CME Group, the world’s largest exchange for financial derivatives, announced that it will begin offering round‑the‑clock cryptocurrency futures and options on its CME Globex platform starting May 29, 2026. The move expands the exchange’s crypto product suite beyond its existing weekday schedule and aligns it with the 24/7 nature of digital‑asset markets.
How the service will work
- Continuous trading: Contracts will be tradable 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a minimum two‑hour maintenance window each weekend.
- Trade‑date handling: Any activity that occurs from Friday evening through Sunday evening will be recorded with the trade date of the next business day.
- Supported assets: CME will continue to list cash‑settled futures and options on Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL) and XRP, all of which are already part of its regulated product lineup.
The exchange outlined the launch in a press release and indicated that the new schedule is a direct response to “record‑high client demand for risk‑management tools in the digital‑asset space.”
Market context
CME’s cryptocurrency offerings have been growing rapidly. In 2025 the exchange reported a $3 trillion notional volume across its crypto futures and options. So far in 2026, average daily volumes have climbed to 407,200 contracts, a 46 % increase versus the prior year, while open interest stands at 335,400 contracts, up 7 % YoY. Futures contracts dominate activity, accounting for roughly 404,000 of the daily contracts traded—a 47 % year‑over‑year rise.
These figures underscore the deepening institutional engagement with crypto as a hedging and speculative tool. The continuous‑trading model is expected to capture liquidity that currently migrates to unregulated or over‑the‑counter venues during CME’s off‑hours.
Strategic implications
- Enhanced risk‑management – Institutional investors can now maintain hedges on digital assets without interruption, reducing exposure to price gaps that often emerge over weekends.
- Competitive pressure – Other regulated venues, such as Bakkt and the CFTC‑approved platforms, may feel pressure to adopt similar 24/7 schedules to stay relevant.
- Regulatory clarity – By extending its regulated framework to round‑the‑clock trading, CME reinforces the legitimacy of crypto derivatives, potentially encouraging further regulatory clarity from U.S. authorities.
- Liquidity concentration – Continuous trading could funnel more volume into CME’s order books, boosting price discovery and narrowing spreads for the listed contracts.
Potential challenges
- System resilience: Maintaining a high‑availability infrastructure for nonstop trading will demand robust disaster‑recovery and security protocols, especially given the heightened cyber‑risk profile of crypto markets.
- Market fragmentation: While CME aims to centralise liquidity, the broader crypto ecosystem still hosts numerous perpetual swap and futures products on non‑regulated exchanges. Aligning price signals across these venues will remain a task for market participants.
Key takeaways
- Launch date: May 29, 2026, on CME Globex.
- Coverage: BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP futures and options available 24/7.
- Trading schedule: Continuous with a minimum two‑hour weekly maintenance window; weekend trades carry next‑business‑day dates.
- Growth metrics: 46 % YoY increase in daily contract volume; 7 % YoY rise in open interest, indicating expanding institutional usage.
- Strategic signal: CME’s move reflects high demand for regulated crypto risk‑management tools and could set a new industry standard for round‑the‑clock derivatives trading.
The expansion marks a notable milestone for regulated crypto markets, bridging the gap between traditional derivatives infrastructure and the always‑on nature of digital assets. As institutions increasingly turn to CME for crypto exposure, the exchange’s 24/7 offering is likely to shape liquidity dynamics and further solidify the role of regulated venues in the evolving landscape of decentralized finance.
Source: https://thedefiant.io/news/tradfi-and-fintech/cme-group-to-launch-24-7-crypto-futures-trading
