What happened?
CME Group announced it will offer 24/7 trading for its cryptocurrency futures and options starting in early 2026, pending regulatory review. Trading will run continuously on CME Globex with only a two-hour weekly maintenance pause and weekend/holiday trades assigned to the next business day for clearing and reporting. The move follows record growth in 2025, with big increases in open interest, volume, and institutional participation.
Who does this affect?
Institutional investors and professional traders who use CME’s crypto derivatives get more flexibility to manage risk anytime. Exchanges, brokers, and clearing firms will need to adjust operations, settlement, and reporting to handle continuous hours. Retail traders and global market participants across time zones also gain access to regulated, around-the-clock trading.
Why does this matter?
Running regulated crypto derivatives 24/7 helps close the gap between always-on spot markets and traditional derivatives, improving price discovery and reducing dislocations. It’s likely to attract more institutional capital, boost liquidity and open interest, and lower trading costs as markets deepen. Overall, continuous trading at a major regulated venue strengthens the bridge between traditional finance and crypto and could accelerate product innovation and competition among exchanges.