10.02.2025

CME to Offer 24/7 Trading for Crypto Contracts in 2026

10.02.2025
MiFID II Prompts Banks to Keep Time

CME Group, the world’s leading derivatives marketplace, announced that its cryptocurrency futures and options will be available to trade 24 hours a day, seven days a week beginning in early 2026, pending regulatory review.

“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,” said Tim McCourt, Global Head of Equities, FX and Alternative Products at CME Group. “Ensuring that our regulated cryptocurrency markets are always on will enable clients to trade with confidence at any time.”

Beginning in early 2026, CME Group cryptocurrency futures and options will trade continuously on CME Globex with at least a two-hour weekly maintenance period over the weekend. All holiday or weekend trading from Friday evening through Sunday evening will have a trade date of the following business day, with clearing, settlement and regulatory reporting processed the following business day as well.

Cryptocurrency futures and options have reached record volumes at CME Group in 2025. Highlights include:

  • Record notional open interest of $39 billion on September 18
  • Record August average daily open interest of 335,200 contracts, up 95% year on year and representing an average $31.6B notional
  • Record August ADV of 411,000 contracts, up 230% year on year and representing $14.9 billion notional
  • Record of more than 1,010 large open interest holders across cryptocurrency products the week of September 25

Source: CME

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4

Citadel Securities told the SEC that trading tokenized equities should remain under existing market rules, a position that drew responses from various crypto industry groups. @ShannyBasar for @MarketsMedia:

SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda argued that private assets belong in retirement plans, saying diversified alts can improve risk-adjusted returns and that the answer to optimal exposure “is not zero.” @ShannyBasar reporting for @MarketsMedia:

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