CME Group said its regulated cryptocurrency futures and options will be available for trading 24 hours a day, seven days a week, pending regulatory review.

While CME does not offer direct retail access, the move may have indirect implications for retail traders. Those who access CME products through brokers or futures commission merchants could see smaller weekend price gaps and closer alignment with spot cryptocurrency markets. The change may also improve hedging flexibility outside standard trading hours.

CME Launches 24/7 Crypto Futures Trading

The exchange will begin continuous trading on Friday, May 29, at 4:00 p.m. CT. Products will trade on CME Globex with at least a two-hour maintenance window over the weekend.

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Trades executed from Friday evening through Sunday evening will carry a trade date of the following business day. Clearing Clearing Clearing is a general term that simply means many different things depending on the subject and related industry. Most commonly, this refers to the reciprocal exchange between banks of checks and drafts, and the settlement of the differences, or the total of claims settled at a clearinghouse. In finance and banking, the word clearing has different meanings depending on the more specific business model. Moving checks from the bank where they were deposited to the bank on which they were drawn. Th Clearing is a general term that simply means many different things depending on the subject and related industry. Most commonly, this refers to the reciprocal exchange between banks of checks and drafts, and the settlement of the differences, or the total of claims settled at a clearinghouse. In finance and banking, the word clearing has different meanings depending on the more specific business model. Moving checks from the bank where they were deposited to the bank on which they were drawn. Th Read this Term, settlement, and regulatory reporting will also be processed the next business day.

Tim McCourt, Global Head of Equities, FX and Alternative Products at CME Group, said demand has increased.

He stated that “Client demand for risk management Risk Management One of the most common terms utilized by brokers, risk management refers to the practice of identifying potential risks in advance. Most commonly, this also involves the analysis of risk and the undertaking of precautionary steps to both mitigate and prevent for such risk.Such efforts are essential for brokers and venues in the finance industry, given the potential for fallout in the face of unforeseen events or crises. Given a more tightly regulated environment across nearly every asset class, One of the most common terms utilized by brokers, risk management refers to the practice of identifying potential risks in advance. Most commonly, this also involves the analysis of risk and the undertaking of precautionary steps to both mitigate and prevent for such risk.Such efforts are essential for brokers and venues in the finance industry, given the potential for fallout in the face of unforeseen events or crises. Given a more tightly regulated environment across nearly every asset class, Read this Term in the digital asset market is at an all-time high,” and that this drove “a record $3 trillion in notional volume across our Cryptocurrency futures and options in 2025.” He added that continuous access allows clients to manage exposure “at any time.”

Derivatives Trading Shows Rising Activity Levels

CME reported record activity in its cryptocurrency derivatives in 2026. Average daily volume reached 407,200 contracts year-to-date, up 46% year-over-year. Average daily open interest rose 7% to 335,400 contracts, while futures average daily volume increased 47% to 403,900 contracts.

The exchange operates futures and options markets across multiple asset classes, including interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural products, metals, and cryptocurrencies. It also provides clearing through CME Clearing and offers fixed income trading via BrokerTec and foreign exchange trading on EBS.