The crypto market and its derivatives continue to grow and advance beyond traditional financial institutions that are increasingly appearing obsolete. In a new example of this, CME Group announced that it will extend the trading hours of its regulated cryptocurrency futures and options to seven days a week starting May, 2026, pending regulatory approval. This measure aims to provide institutional clients with 24-hour access to hedging and risk management tools for major digital assets.
The change will be implemented on the CME Globex platform with a minimal two-hour weekend maintenance period, according to the announcement. CME presented the launch as a response to the growing demand from institutional users for continuous and regulated access to cryptocurrency derivatives.
Crypto derivatives expand
CME plans to operate its cryptocurrency futures and options virtually uninterrupted, with a maintenance pause of only two hours each weekend. The offering will include futures and options for major assets such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL), and XRP, according to the press release.
Clearly, the influx of institutional capital into the crypto market has opened the door for companies like CME to launch entirely new crypto products. The firm cited recent activity as justification for this move.
“Client demand for risk management in the digital asset market is at an all-time high, driving a record notional volume of $3 trillion in our cryptocurrency futures and options in 2025,”
said Tim McCourt, Global Head of Equities, FX, and Alternatives at CME Group.
So far this year, the average daily volume for 2026 has reached 407,200 contracts, a year-over-year increase of 46%, according to the press release.
When will trading begin?
CME was one of the first regulated US derivatives exchanges to offer cash-settled Bitcoin futures, launching this product in 2017. The 24/7 trading schedule is framed as an effort to align traditional markets with the always-on nature of the underlying cryptocurrency markets.
However, it’s important to note that these types of products are subject to heavy regulation. Therefore, they are not entirely aligned with the original values of cryptocurrencies and DeFi, such as freedom and decentralization.
The launch is pending approval from the relevant government entities; if approved, trading will commence on May 29, 2026. Market participants should confirm connectivity, margin schedules, and any changes to clearing and settlement processes before the launch date.
