CME Group Flips the Switch: 24/7 Crypto Futures and Options Trading Set for Early 2026

CME Group plans to flip the lights on for crypto around the clock, moving its bitcoin and ether futures and options to 24/7 trading in early 2026, pending regulatory review.

CME’s Crypto Desk Plans to Never Sleep

CME Group said the shift will make its regulated crypto complex “always on,” matching a market that never sleeps while keeping it inside familiar risk rails. It’s Wall Street’s wrapper for a crypto habit.

Tim McCourt, the company’s global head of equities, FX and alternative products, stated that client demand has pushed for continuous access so firms can manage exposure every day of the week.

Trading will occur nonstop on CME Globex with a short, weekly maintenance window of at least two hours on weekends, the company said.

Holiday and weekend activity from Friday evening through Sunday evening will be assigned the next business day’s trade date, with clearing, settlement and regulatory reporting processed on that business day.

CME’s plan aims to combine crypto’s nonstop tempo with the exchange’s clearinghouse discipline, giving institutions a venue that operates when price action does.

The move follows a year of record activity across CME’s crypto contracts. On Sept. 18, the company cited that notional open interest reached $39 billion, a high for the venue.

In August, average daily open interest hit 335,200 contracts, up 95% year over year and representing about $31.6 billion notional, the company reported.

August also set a record average daily volume of 411,000 contracts, up 230% year over year and equivalent to roughly $14.9 billion notional.

The exchange counted more than 1,010 large open interest holders across its crypto suite during the week of Sept. 25, signaling broader institutional participation.

CME Group concluded by stressing that the 24/7 rollout remains subject to regulatory review and will begin in early 2026 if fully approved, with more operational details to follow. Hours will finally match market reality at last.