CME Group will begin offering 24-hour, seven-day-a-week trading in its cryptocurrency futures and options on May 29, extending the largest U.S. regulated crypto derivatives marketplace into a continuous market structure for the first time.
The change, which remains subject to regulatory review, will allow trading on CME Globex to run nearly uninterrupted, with clearing and reporting for weekend activity processed on the following business day.
First Regulated 24/7 Crypto Derivatives Market In The U.S.
The move marks a structural shift for a venue that helped introduce institutional investors to digital assets when it launched cash-settled Bitcoin futures in 2017.
Those contracts provided one of the earliest compliant pathways for hedge funds, asset managers and corporates to hedge or gain exposure to crypto without holding the underlying tokens.
By moving to continuous trading, CME is aligning regulated derivatives with the 24/7 price discovery cycle that has long defined offshore crypto markets.
Record Volumes Drive Expansion Of Trading Hours
The exchange said demand for risk management tools in digital assets has accelerated, with cryptocurrency derivatives generating $3 trillion in notional volume in 2025.
Crypto products have become a growing contributor to CME’s overall activity, which reached record levels across asset classes.
Average daily crypto contract volume has climbed sharply in recent years, reflecting increased participation from institutional traders and the expansion of micro-sized contracts designed for more precise exposure management.
Also Read: South Korea Recovers $21M In Bitcoin After Hack, Hunt For Hacker Continues
Institutional Market Share Continues To Rise
Although offshore venues still dominate global crypto derivatives flow, CME’s regulated framework and established connectivity to traditional financial firms have steadily increased its share of the market.
Continuous trading is expected to strengthen that position by allowing institutions to hedge portfolios and manage collateral in real time rather than waiting for traditional market hours.
Convergence Of Traditional And Crypto Market Structure
The shift reflects a broader trend in which digital assets are being integrated into existing derivatives infrastructure rather than operating in parallel offshore systems.
With regulated futures now available around the clock, institutional participants will be able to respond immediately to macro events, ETF flows and spot-market volatility regardless of time zone.
The new schedule is set to take effect at 4:00 p.m. Central Time on May 29.
Read Next: Glassnode: Without ETF Inflows, Bitcoin Recovery Faces Structural Headwinds