Key Takeaways
- • CME Group will run cryptocurrency futures and options on CME Globex around the clock starting May 29, 2026, pending regulatory approval, according to an official press release announced February 19, 2026.
- • CME's crypto derivatives recorded $3 trillion in notional volume in 2025, which the publisher says confirms institutional demand for regulated derivatives now rivals spot market activity.
- • Crypto derivatives average daily volume reached 407,200 contracts year-to-date in 2026, up 46% year-over-year, while futures ADV hit 403,900 contracts, up 47%, per CME Group data.
- • Average daily open interest stands at 335,400 contracts, up 7% year-over-year.
- • Continuous trading on a regulated venue could pull institutional volume away from offshore perpetual futures markets, and gives institutions continuous hedging access to reduce overnight risk accumulation.
Summary
CME Group announced that it will run cryptocurrency futures and options on CME Globex on a 24/7 basis beginning May 29, 2026, according to BeInCrypto. The announcement was made on February 19, 2026, through an official press release, and the schedule is subject to regulatory approval. CME confirmed the May 29 launch date via its official X account.
The move follows strong growth in CME's crypto derivatives franchise. The exchange recorded $3 trillion in notional volume across its crypto derivatives in 2025. Year-to-date in 2026, crypto derivatives average daily volume has reached 407,200 contracts, up 46% year-over-year. Futures ADV specifically reached 403,900 contracts, up 47% year-over-year, and average daily open interest stands at 335,400 contracts, up 7% year-over-year, per CME Group data.
According to the publication, continuous trading would allow traders to respond to breaking news over weekends and reduce the price gap risk that builds when crypto markets move while CME is closed. Institutions managing crypto exposure through CME derivatives would gain continuous hedging access and reduce overnight risk accumulation. The publication characterizes the change as CME's direct response to demand from traditional finance firms scaling into digital assets.
The 24/7 schedule would align CME with native crypto exchanges, which have traded continuously, narrowing what the article describes as a structural gap between TradFi and DeFi. BeInCrypto also argues that continuous trading on a regulated venue could draw institutional volume away from offshore perpetual futures markets. These are the publication's analytical views rather than confirmed outcomes.
The move follows strong growth in CME's crypto derivatives franchise. The exchange recorded $3 trillion in notional volume across its crypto derivatives in 2025. Year-to-date in 2026, crypto derivatives average daily volume has reached 407,200 contracts, up 46% year-over-year. Futures ADV specifically reached 403,900 contracts, up 47% year-over-year, and average daily open interest stands at 335,400 contracts, up 7% year-over-year, per CME Group data.
According to the publication, continuous trading would allow traders to respond to breaking news over weekends and reduce the price gap risk that builds when crypto markets move while CME is closed. Institutions managing crypto exposure through CME derivatives would gain continuous hedging access and reduce overnight risk accumulation. The publication characterizes the change as CME's direct response to demand from traditional finance firms scaling into digital assets.
The 24/7 schedule would align CME with native crypto exchanges, which have traded continuously, narrowing what the article describes as a structural gap between TradFi and DeFi. BeInCrypto also argues that continuous trading on a regulated venue could draw institutional volume away from offshore perpetual futures markets. These are the publication's analytical views rather than confirmed outcomes.
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