CME Group, the world’s largest derivatives market, has launched 24/7 trading in cryptocurrency futures and options, marking a tectonic shift in how regulated derivatives markets align with the non-stop nature of digital assets.
Trading began on Friday, May 29 at 4:00 pm central time on the exchange’s CME Globex platform. Over 7,200 crypto futures and options contracts were traded during the first weekend, generating approximately $50 million in notional value. In a CME Group release, CME said this number reflects demand from both retail and institutional participants.
The move fills a gap that has long frustrated crypto traders. Under the previous schedule, CME’s crypto derivatives would cease over the weekend, creating price discontinuities when the spot market moves and futures fail to react.
Now, with a near-continuous schedule and a two-hour maintenance window every weekend, traders can react to market events at any time.
“By providing continuous liquidity over the weekend, we are responding to customer demand and bridging the gap between traditional regulated venues and the 24/7 nature of crypto assets,” said Tim McCourt, Global Head of Equities, Currency and Alternative Products at CME Group. “Since we introduced the first Bitcoin futures contract in 2017, the ecosystem has evolved in so many ways.”
Cryptocurrency derivatives trading volume over the years
This launch is based on record performance. CME recorded $3 trillion in notional trading volume of crypto derivatives in 2025, and average daily trading volume in 2026 reached 407,200 contracts, an increase of 46% year-on-year. Average daily open interest was 335,400 contracts, up 7% year over year.
The breadth of the rollout was highlighted by support from key market participants. JB McKenzie, vice president of Robinhood Markets, said the launch of the service marks the first time users will be able to trade regulated futures contracts at any time.
Ripple Prime President Noel Kimmel said the company’s futures clearing infrastructure was built to provide institutions with uninterrupted access to regulated crypto derivatives.
Bob Fitzsimmons of Wedbush Securities said the company has been serving customers 24/7 for more than a year and has developed technology to meet the demands of the new structure.
CME’s crypto suite currently covers Bitcoin futures and some other cryptos.
CME Bitcoin Volatility Futures
On the same day that the 24/7 schedule began, CME introduced Bitcoin Volatility Futures (ticker: BVI), the first regulated product of its kind. Contracts are settled based on the CME CF Bitcoin Volatility Index (BVX), a 30-day implicit volatility measure derived from real-time Bitcoin options order book data.
Rather than taking directional positions against Bitcoin’s price, traders can now go long or short depending on the expected volatility of the price movement. While this tool has been available in the stock market for years through products such as VIX, it has never before been offered in a regulated form for Bitcoin.
