Chicago-based trading giant CME Group has announced that its cryptocurrency futures and options will become available for round-the-clock trading starting from early 2026.
The move will require regulatory approval, the Thursday announcement says.
Dominating crypto derivatives trading
After first launching Bitcoin futures back in 2017, CME Group has become a dominant force in the crypto market. According to CoinGlass data, CME Group comes in first place in terms of open interest for both Bitcoin and Ethereum futures.
Enabling 24/7 trading will likely solidify the exchange's dominance in the market since limited trading hours were a major issue for some market participants.
The trading behemoth has also dramatically expanded the list of available offerings. Earlier this year, the Chicago-based trading giant introduced Solana (SOL) and XRP futures. Recently, it also announced that it would launch options for such products.
End of "CME gaps"?
If CME does implement 24/7 trading, this will, of course, mark the end of the so-called "weekend gaps."
The futures trade only during traditional business hours, and Bitcoin's volatile weekend price action created dislocations between futures and spot markets.
Dan Burgin
Vladislav Sopov
U.Today Editorial Team