CME Group launched 24/7 crypto futures and options trading, generating $50 million in volume during its opening weekend.
Crypto News
CME Group launched 24/7 trading for regulated cryptocurrency futures and options on its CME Globex platform on May 29. The exchange confirmed the milestone publicly on June 1. The move aligns the world's largest regulated derivatives exchange by open interest with the nonstop schedule of digital asset markets for the first time in its history.
Over the inaugural weekend, more than 7,200 cryptocurrency futures and options contracts changed hands. The total notional value of those trades reached approximately $50 million. CME said volume was supported by both retail and institutional participants, describing the result as evidence of "immediate liquidity and clear demand for transparent, trusted markets."
Tim McCourt, global head of equities, FX, and alternative products at CME Group, said the launch directly addresses a structural gap between traditional finance and digital assets. "By offering continuous liquidity over the weekend, we are meeting client demand and bridging the gap between traditional regulated venues and the 24/7 nature of crypto assets," he said. McCourt added that the shift to an always-on model represents "the next natural evolution for the marketplace," nearly nine years after CME introduced its first Bitcoin (BTC) futures contract in 2017.
Bitcoin Volatility Futures Now Trade Around the Clock
Bitcoin Volatility futures also began trading 24/7 on June 1, making them the first regulated products of their kind. These contracts allow investors to trade or hedge their view on 30-day implied BTC volatility without taking a directional price position. They settle to the CME CF Bitcoin Volatility Index (BVX), which is derived from real-time CME Bitcoin options order books and is published every second between 7:00 am and 4:00 pm CT.
Robinhood Markets, Ripple Prime, and Wedbush Securities were among the first platforms to support the extended hours. JB Mackenzie, vice president and general manager of futures and international at Robinhood Markets, said the launch marks "the first time our users will be able to trade regulated futures contracts at any hour of the day, any day of the week."
Noel Kimmel, President of Ripple Prime, said institutions require "uninterrupted access to regulated crypto derivatives, underpinned by the clearing and financing infrastructure to match." Bob Fitzsimmons, executive vice president at Wedbush Securities, said his firm had been serving clients on a 24/7 basis for over a year and expanded its operations to support the CME launch.
CME recorded $3 trillion in notional crypto derivatives volume across 2025. Q3 2025 saw combined futures and options volume exceed $900 billion, then an all-time high, with average daily open interest reaching $31.3 billion across 311,300 contracts. Notional open interest peaked at $39 billion on Sept. 18, 2025, and the quarter recorded 1,014 large open interest holders, pointing to widening institutional participation.
Into 2026, CME's crypto derivatives activity continued to climb. Year-to-date average daily volume reached 407,200 contracts, up 46% from the same period a year earlier, while average daily open interest stood at 335,400 contracts, up 7% year-over-year. Before the expansion, US regulated futures trading had paused every weekend while spot cryptocurrency markets remained open continuously, leaving traders unable to adjust regulated positions during weekend price moves.
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