CME Group eyes 24/7 crypto derivatives trading expansion

CME Group, the leading US derivatives exchange, plans to offer 24/7 trading for cryptocurrency futures and options starting in early 2026, pending regulatory approval. This will enable continuous trading on the CME Globex platform, with only a two-hour maintenance window on weekends. Transactions around holidays or weekends will be processed with the next business day's trade date, streamlining clearing and settlement. Tim McCourt, CME’s Global Head of Equities, FX and Alternative Products, stated that the shift is a response to increasing client demand for around-the-clock trading, particularly in managing risk in cryptocurrency markets. The announcement follows record trading volumes in CME’s crypto segment, indicating strong growth, with an average daily volume of 340,000 cryptocurrency contracts reported for Q3 2025. This expansion also aims to reduce traders' dependence on offshore platforms for overnight risk management and captures a larger share of institutional crypto derivatives in regulated markets, though it requires infrastructure adaptations for continuous operations.

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