The CME group says it plans to launch 24/7 crypto futures and options trading in 2026, pending regulatory review. According to a Thursday press release, the derivatives marketplace will offer its services whenever its clients need to adapt to the growing demand for crypto trading.
“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.”
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group has taken several steps towards complete crypto adoption in 2025. The marketplace launched futures trading for digital assets, including XRP, BTC, and SOL, earlier this year. While those trading options had a cap on when transactions could take place, CME will now look to offer trading at any time of the day.
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Per CME, 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.
Crypto futures and options trading have reached record volumes at CME Group this year. Just a few weeks ago, on September 18, national open interest reached a whopping $39 billion. This past August also saw records in average daily open interest of 335,200 contracts, up 95% year on year, and August ADV of 411,000 contracts, up 230% year on year.