CME Launches 24/7 Crypto Futures and Options Trading for Institutional Investors
June 2, 2026CME Group officially launched 24/7 trading for its cryptocurrency futures and options suite on May 29, 2026. From Friday, CME Bitcoin futures and options can now be traded 24 hours a day, seven days a week on its electronic trading platform, Globex. A two-hour maintenance pause is scheduled between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. UTC each Saturday.
About CME Group
CME Group is the world’s largest and most diverse financial derivatives marketplace, offering trading for futures, options, cash, and OTC markets. It has the infrastructure where institutions, investors, and corporations work together, manage risk, and allocate capital across different asset classes.
The ‘Gap Fill’ Strategy
CME used to close on Friday evening and reopen on Sunday evening. Although the crypto market did not stop, any news during this time would affect the price at opening time. During this time, the CME prices do not move. Many Bitcoin traders used to make money by exploiting predictable price differences that occurred when the CME futures market closed for the weekend.
The prices are highly volatile, often at 11 pm UTC on Sunday, when the market reopens. Over the weekend, only very little money is traded, indicating random fluctuations. Only a few buy and sell orders are available during this time. As the order book is very thin, a small sell or buy can cause the price to jump. Therefore, hedge funds, professional traders, and big banks do not trade over the weekend.
CME’s 24/7 Window
CME’s weekend-off era has come to an end. With the Bitcoin and futures trading window open 24/7, CME aims to reduce risks and improve hedging for institutional participants. Traders, including asset managers, hedge funds, and corporate treasury desks, can manage exposure throughout the day and weekend rather than waiting for the markets to open.
However, CME’s maintenance window between 3 am and 5 am UTC on Saturday might retain some of the old market characteristics. Nevertheless, investors use BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF options to measure market volatility, as it holds more money and active contracts than the CME. BlackRock’s IBIT ETF options market has increased to $30 billion in active contracts. On the other hand, CME’s Bitcoin options have less than $1 billion.
Alongside the expansion, CME Group introduced Bitcoin Volatility futures to trade 24/7, allowing market participants to trade 30-day implied volatility without directional price exposure.
CME Group Hits $50 Million in the First Weekend
The CME Group recorded $50 million in notional trading volume during the first weekend of its rollout of a 24/7 crypto derivatives market. According to their official update, more than 7,2000 crypto futures and options contracts have been traded since it opened on May 29.
Firms look for continuous market access
Several firms want the weekend rollout to meet increasing client demand for regulated crypto products after trading hours.
Robinhood Markets issued a new schedule allowing customers to trade regulated futures contracts throughout the week. Ripple Prime announced that institutional investors can use crypto-risk management tools around the clock.
Wedbush Securities stated that it expanded its operational setup in favor of weekend trading. CME also announced that weekend and holiday trades will receive the next business day’s trade date, including clearing, settlement, and regulatory reporting handled on the upcoming business day.