CME Group launches 24/7 crypto futures in 2026

Through customer demand-driven actions for uninterrupted risk management; trading with CME Globex, weekend downtime is short.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group revealed plans to introduce 24/7 cryptocurrency futures and options starting from early 2026.

If approved, this will make it the first U.S. exchange to offer 24/7 access to crypto derivatives and align it with the DEFI standard.

Customer demand continues to rise

The derivatives market announced in a statement Thursday that it plans to enable customers to trade cryptocurrency futures and options “24 hours a day, 7 days a week”, according to a regulatory green light. The initiative is a growing user demand for ongoing risk management and liquidity management and liquidity management.

“While not all markets operate 24/7, customers’ demand for 24/7 cryptocurrency trading is growing because market participants need to manage their own risks every day,” said Tim McCourt, head of global equity, forex and alternative products at CME Group.

The expanded operating time will apply to CME’s suite of crypto products, including Bitcoin and Ethereum futures and options. The transaction will be continuously available through the CME Globex electronics platform, in addition to the two-hour maintenance window over the weekend. On the other hand, weekend and holiday transactions will be conducted on the next working day and clearing, settlement and regulatory reports will be handled in the same way.

Nate Geraci, president of Novadius Wealth Management, said the development showed that traditional finance quickly conformed to legal practice, emphasizing that it was “just the beginning.”

Chief Executive Terrence Duffy said at a joint roundtable hosted by the SEC and CFTC this week that he expects demand for 24/7 transactions to grow, noting that Crypto offers the clearest avenue to achieve this goal.

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Other executives shared the same view, with ICEX CEO Jeff Sprecher stressing that the market should determine which assets are suitable for continuous trading. Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman explained that her company is working towards 24/5 stocks, but still faces practical challenges.

High hit rate of crypto derivatives

CME’s initiatives may attract institutions seeking to regulate exchange security while avoiding the limitations of standard market hours. If approved, it may place the platform before an offshore competitor that has already operated under uninterrupted but less regulated supervision.

Meanwhile, the company’s crypto derivatives hit new highs in 2025, with concept open interest hitting a record $39 billion in September. In August, the average daily open interest increased by 95% from last year to 335,200 contracts, while average daily sales jumped 230% to 411,000 contracts. The exchange also reports its records of more than 1,010 large open interest holders in cryptocurrency products.