CME Group is synchronizing its massive derivatives marketplace with the non-stop rhythm of digital assets, launching round-the-clock crypto futures and options to meet surging institutional demand for constant risk management.
Summary
- CME Group said it will launch 24/7 trading for Bitcoin and Ether futures and options in early 2026, pending regulatory approval.
- The move follows record crypto volumes at CME, including $39 billion notional open interest in September and a 230% year-on-year surge in daily contract volumes.
According to an announcement on Oct. 2, the derivatives behemoth will expand trading for its benchmark Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) futures and options to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The move, slated for early 2026 pending regulatory review, directly responds to what CME’s Tim McCourt described as growing client demand to “manage risk every day of the week.”
The CME Group said the new continuous trading model on CME Globex will include a brief weekly maintenance window, finally aligning the exchange’s operational hours with the relentless nature of the crypto markets it serves, while clearing and settlement remain tied to the standard business day.
CME’s nonstop model comes amid record crypto volumes
Per the announcement, the weekly downtime will last at least two hours over the weekend, ensuring operations remain uninterrupted for the rest of the week. Any trades executed during holiday periods or from Friday evening through Sunday evening will be logged under the following business day, with clearing, settlement, and reporting aligned to the next available cycle.
The change arrives as CME’s crypto products are seeing unprecedented volumes, underscoring an explosive growth and institutional encroachment. In September, notional open interest hit a record $39 billion. August figures underscored the trend, with an average daily open interest of 335,200 contracts, up 95% from the prior year and equal to $31.6 billion notional.
The same month also brought an average daily volume of 411,000 contracts, a 230% jump year on year, representing $14.9 billion notional. By late September, more than 1,010 large traders held open interest across CME’s cryptocurrency lineup, a high-water mark for institutional participation.
For CME Group, a $95 billion titan and the world’s leading derivatives marketplace, this move is a significant evolution. The company provides benchmark products across all major asset classes, from interest rates and equity indexes to foreign exchange, energy, and agricultural commodities.
Its decision to adapt its core operational model for a single asset class is a powerful testament to crypto’s maturing profile and economic weight. The company is applying the immense scale of its CME Globex platform to solve a unique problem that other established asset classes have never demanded.