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CME Group will launch 24-hour, seven-day-a-week trading of its cryptocurrency futures and options contracts on May 29, 2026 — pending regulatory approval, marking the first time a major regulated U.S. derivatives exchange has matched the continuous operating tempo of global spot crypto markets.
The move, announced by the world’s largest regulated derivatives marketplace, aims to align regulated crypto derivatives with the continuous nature of global spot digital-asset markets.
For institutional investors and professional traders, the CME crypto expansion represents a structural shift in how regulated risk management tools operate.
Under the new schedule, cryptocurrency products will trade continuously on CME’s electronic platform, CME Globex, with only a brief weekly maintenance window.
Trades executed from Friday evening through Sunday evening will carry the following business day’s trade date for clearing, settlement and reporting.
CME said client demand for regulated crypto risk-management tools has reached historic highs, reinforcing the rationale behind the CME crypto expansion.
The CME crypto expansion follows record activity in 2025, when the exchange’s crypto futures and options contracts generated $3 trillion in notional trading volume.
According to CME data, both average daily volume and open interest have increased sharply year over year in 2026, signaling sustained engagement from institutional participants.
“Client demand for regulated crypto risk-management tools is at an historic high,” — CME Group, in its official announcement.
For hedge funds, asset managers and proprietary trading firms, 24/7 derivatives access reduces timing mismatches between traditional exchange hours and crypto spot markets, which operate continuously.
Previously, traders faced exposure gaps during weekends when spot prices could move sharply but regulated derivatives markets were closed.
By extending trading hours, the CME crypto expansion aims to provide uninterrupted hedging tools for Bitcoin and other digital assets during periods of volatility, particularly around macroeconomic events or geopolitical developments that occur outside standard U.S. trading sessions.
The CME crypto expansion builds on a broader digital-asset strategy. In February 2026, CME launched new futures contracts tied to Cardano, Chainlink and Stellar, offering both standard and micro-sized contracts.
The additions expanded CME’s regulated derivatives offerings beyond Bitcoin and Ether.
Market participants have viewed these launches as a significant milestone in providing institutional-grade access to a broader range of crypto assets under established regulatory frameworks.
The CME crypto expansion therefore reflects not only extended hours but also product diversification, signaling confidence in sustained institutional appetite for digital-asset derivatives.
While the CME crypto expansion underscores growth, the exchange’s infrastructure has faced stress amid rising demand.
In November 2025, a cooling-system failure at a CyrusOne data center caused a major outage that halted futures trading across cryptocurrencies, commodities, equities and foreign exchange markets.
The incident highlighted operational risks associated with scaling high-volume, technology-driven markets.
As trading hours extend to 24/7, ensuring system resilience becomes critical to maintaining market integrity and investor confidence.
CME did not link the outage directly to its crypto strategy, but the event emphasized the infrastructure demands that accompany the CME crypto expansion and broader modernization efforts.
The CME crypto expansion represents a key step in narrowing the gap between traditional exchange structures and continuously operating blockchain networks.
Spot crypto markets never close, creating liquidity and risk management challenges for regulated derivatives exchanges operating within legacy trading hours.
By adopting near-continuous trading, CME is positioning its derivatives platform to better mirror the operational tempo of digital assets.
The approach may also strengthen price discovery by integrating weekend market movements into regulated futures markets more seamlessly.
As digital assets continue integrating into mainstream finance, the CME crypto expansion signals that established exchanges are adapting to the operational realities of blockchain-based markets.
For institutional investors seeking regulated exposure, round-the-clock derivatives trading could provide enhanced flexibility, tighter hedging alignment and improved responsiveness to global events.
With regulatory approval pending, the May 29 launch will test whether continuous trading becomes the new standard for crypto derivatives within traditional financial infrastructure.
