CME Group to start trading crypto futures 24/7: Changes for Bitcoin

CME Group to start trading crypto futures 24/7: Changes for Bitcoin

CME Group, a leading derivatives marketplace, has announced plans to launch 24/7 trading for its cryptocurrency futures and options products, starting in early 2026. This move, subject to regulatory review, reflects growing client demand for round-the-clock risk management in the cryptocurrency market.

Tim McCourt, global head of equities, FX, and alternative products at CME Group, emphasized the importance of aligning regulated markets with the pace of the digital asset sector. "While not all markets lend themselves to operating 24/7, client demand for around-the-clock cryptocurrency trading has grown as market participants need to manage their risk every day of the week," he said. "Ensuring that our regulated cryptocurrency markets are always on will enable clients to trade with confidence at any time."

CME’s cryptocurrency futures and options will trade continuously on the CME Globex platform, with only a two-hour weekly maintenance pause scheduled over the weekend. Any trading conducted over weekends or holidays will be assigned the following business day as the official trade date, with clearing, settlement, and regulatory reporting also processed on the next business day.

The expansion of trading hours follows a year of record growth in CME’s cryptocurrency derivatives complex. In September 2025, notional open interest reached a high of $39 billion, with August recording an average daily open interest of 335,200 contracts, up 95% year-on-year and representing $31.6 billion in notional value . By late September, CME counted more than 1,010 large open interest holders across its cryptocurrency products, showing a sharp rise in institutional engagement.

CME Group currently offers a broad range of benchmark products across major asset classes, including interest rates, equities, foreign exchange, energy, agriculture, metals, and digital assets. Its ecosystem spans CME Globex for futures and options, BrokerTec for fixed income, and EBS for foreign exchange, all supported by CME Clearing, one of the world’s largest central counterparty clearing providers.

The Chicago-based exchange plans to introduce continuous trading for its cryptocurrency derivatives products beginning in early 2026, subject to CFTC approval. The expansion would eliminate current trading pauses that occur on weekends, holidays, and outside standard business hours. This move addresses institutional demand for round-the-clock risk management and aligns CME’s services with the nonstop nature of cryptocurrency markets.

CME Group dominates the institutional cryptocurrency derivatives market, with bitcoin futures open interest standing at $16.8 billion and ether futures at $9.8 billion . The proposed continuous trading would provide regulated market access without traditional hour restrictions, giving CME Group a competitive advantage over offshore platforms that often operate with less regulatory supervision.

The expansion reflects growing institutional involvement in cryptocurrency markets and the increasing demand for professional risk management tools across the sector. CME Group plans to begin the new trading schedule in early 2026, pending CFTC approval and the resolution of the current government shutdown.