CME Group, the world’s largest derivatives marketplace, has launched 24/7 trading for cryptocurrency futures and options, marking a structural shift in how regulated derivatives markets align with the nonstop nature of digital assets.
Trading went live at 4:00 p.m. Central Time on Friday, May 29, on the exchange’s CME Globex platform. Over the inaugural weekend, more than 7,200 crypto futures and options contracts changed hands, generating roughly $50 million in notional value — a figure CME said reflected demand from both retail and institutional participants, the CME Group release said.
The move closes a gap that had long frustrated crypto traders. Under the previous schedule, CME’s crypto derivatives halted on weekends, creating price discontinuities when spot markets moved and futures could not respond.
Now, with a near-continuous schedule and a two-hour maintenance window each weekend, traders can react to market events at any hour.
“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,” said Tim McCourt, Global Head of Equities, FX and Alternative Products at CME Group. “Since we introduced our first Bitcoin futures contract in 2017, the ecosystem has evolved in so many ways.”
Crypto derivatives volume over the years
The launch builds on record performance. CME recorded $3 trillion in notional crypto derivatives volume in 2025, and 2026 average daily volume has reached 407,200 contracts — a 46% increase year-over-year. Average daily open interest stands at 335,400 contracts, up 7% from the prior year.
Support from key market participants underscored the breadth of the rollout. Robinhood Markets VP JB Mackenzie said the launch marks the first time users can trade regulated futures contracts at any hour of any day.
Ripple Prime President Noel Kimmel said his firm’s futures clearing infrastructure was built to provide institutions with uninterrupted access to regulated crypto derivatives.
Wedbush Securities’ Bob Fitzsimmons said his firm has served clients on a 24/7 basis for over a year and has developed technology to meet the demands of the new structure.
CME’s crypto suite now covers futures on Bitcoin and select other crypto.
CME’s Bitcoin Volatility futures
On the same day the 24/7 schedule went live, CME introduced Bitcoin Volatility futures (ticker: BVI) — the first regulated product of its kind. The contracts settle against the CME CF Bitcoin Volatility Index (BVX), a 30-day implied volatility measure derived from real-time Bitcoin options order book data.
Rather than taking a directional position on Bitcoin’s price, traders can now go long or short on the intensity of expected price swings — a tool long available in equity markets through instruments like the VIX, but never before offered in regulated form for Bitcoin.
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