CME Group to launch 24/7 crypto futures and options trading in early 2026

CME Group CME plans to offer round-the-clock trading for cryptocurrency futures and options starting early 2026 to cater to surging client demand.

The derivatives exchange heavyweight said on Thursday crypto futures and options would trade continuously on CME's platform from next year, with at least a two-hour weekly maintenance period over the weekend.

Initially viewed as a speculative asset class, crypto is fast becoming a key component of investor portfolios and getting increasingly meshed with traditional finance.

"While not all markets lend themselves to operating 24/7, client demand for round-the-clock cryptocurrency trading has grown as market participants need to manage their risk every day of the week," said Tim McCourt, global head of equities, FX and alternative products at CME.

CME's move to make crypto trading available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is subject to regulatory review.

Crypto sector's market capitalization also surged past $4 trillion this year, aided by a pro-crypto White House and rising institutional flows into digital assets.

CME has also had a banner year on the crypto derivatives front, with record notional open interest of $39 billion on Sept. 18, while crypto average daily volume vaulted more than three folds to record 411,000 contracts in August.

The Chicago-based firm has hosted trading in bitcoin futures since 2017, making it one of the first major exchanges to do so, alongside rival Cboe CBOE.

Over the past few months, CME has moved to expand its crypto derivatives offering by rolling out futures related to solana and XRP, as it seeks to tap into the growing interest in tokens other than bitcoin and ether.