The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group plans to offer continuous trading for its cryptocurrency futures and options starting May 29. This move will allow market participants to manage their exposure to digital assets around the clock, excluding a brief weekly maintenance period.
Continuous Crypto Access for Traders
CME Group, a major global derivatives marketplace, announced that its cryptocurrency futures and options will begin trading 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This expansion aims to cater to the global, always-on nature of the economy and provide traders with constant access to these regulated digital asset products.
The new trading hours are scheduled to begin on Friday, May 29, at 4:00 p.m. Central Time.
Trading will operate continuously on the CME Globex platform.
A two-hour weekly maintenance period is expected to occur over the weekend.
The company's existing crypto products are described as "regulated" and "transparent."
Industry Shift Towards Constant Access
The decision by CME Group follows a broader trend in financial markets towards offering continuous trading options.
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is also developing a platform for trading tokenized stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which is planned to feature 24/7 trading hours.
This evolution aligns with the reality of a global, always-on economy, where market activity can occur at any time across different time zones.
Operational Details and Regulatory Oversight
While trading will be continuous, operational procedures for holidays and weekends have been clarified.
All trading activity that takes place on market holidays and weekends will be cleared, settled, and posted on the following business day.
Similarly, regulatory reporting will also be filed on the subsequent business day.
The expansion is pending regulatory approval.
CME Group's Market Position
CME Group highlighted its established role in the financial markets and the performance of its existing offerings.
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The company operates as a leading derivatives marketplace globally, offering a wide range of products across various asset classes, including interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, cryptocurrencies, energy, agricultural products, and metals.
It also manages one of the world's leading central counterparty clearing providers, CME Clearing.
Year-to-date, CME Group has reported significant growth in its trading volumes.
Average daily volume (ADV) stood at 407,200 contracts, a 46% increase year-over-year.
Average daily open interest reached 335,400 contracts, up 7% year-over-year.
Futures ADV specifically grew by 47% year-over-year to 403,900 contracts.
Expert Analysis
"While not all markets lend themselves to operating 24/7, providing always-on access to our regulated, transparent Cryptocurrency products ensures clients can manage their exposure and trade with confidence at any time."— CME Group Statement
This statement from CME Group emphasizes the strategic rationale behind extending trading hours, focusing on client needs for continuous risk management and trading opportunities in the digital asset space. The reference to "regulated" and "transparent" products aims to build confidence among participants in a market that can sometimes be perceived as volatile.
Conclusion
CME Group's initiative to launch 24/7 cryptocurrency futures and options trading marks a significant development in the accessibility of regulated digital asset derivatives. The expansion, pending regulatory approval, reflects a broader market movement towards continuous trading operations, aligning with the global nature of modern economies. This move is supported by CME Group's established infrastructure and its role as a major derivatives marketplace, with existing products showing strong year-over-year growth. The continuous trading model is expected to provide market participants with enhanced flexibility to manage risk and capitalize on opportunities within the cryptocurrency market at any time.
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Sources Used:
CME Group: "CME Group to Launch 24/7 Cryptocurrency Futures and Options Trading on May 29"
Link:
https://www.cmegroup.com/media-room/press-releases/2026/2/19/cme_group_to_launch247cryptocurrencyfuturesandoptionstradingonma.htmlContext: Official press release detailing the announcement of the 24/7 trading expansion, including specific dates, times, operational details, and company performance metrics.
Cointelegraph: "CME Group Announces Upcoming 24/7 Crypto Futures and Options Trading"
Link:
https://cointelegraph.com/news/cme-may-24-7-crypto-derivative-tradingContext: News report covering CME Group's announcement, mentioning regulatory approval as a condition, and drawing parallels with other market initiatives like the NYSE's development of 24/7 trading for tokenized assets.
