Say goodbye to the "CME gap"! CME will launch 24/7 all-day encryption derivation trading in 2026.

The world's largest derivatives trading exchange, CME Group (, announced that it will launch year-round cryptocurrency futures and options trading in 2026. This not only responds to the market's calls for immediate hedging needs but is also seen as an important beginning for TradFi to fully move towards a "24/7 model."

24/7 Trading New Era: CME Targets Crypto Assets Market Demand

CME Group CEO Terry Duffy revealed today at the United States Futures Exchange )CFTC( and SEC )SEC( joint roundtable meeting that cryptocurrency futures and options will be available for "24/7" trading starting in early 2026, breaking the limitations of weekend and holiday trading halts.

Tim McCourt, the Global Head of Equity, FX, and Alternative Products at CME, pointed out in the announcement that:

Although not all markets are suitable for 24/7, investors in Crypto Assets need to manage risks at any time every day, making around-the-clock trading a necessary option.

This move is not only a response to the demands of institutional clients, but also highlights that crypto assets are gradually driving the reshaping of rules in the TradFi market.

Financial giants all call out: Crypto Assets are the best testing ground for 24/7 trading.

At the meeting, Terry Duffy stated plainly: "A 24/7 financial market is imperative, and Crypto Assets are the best entry point."

Other financial giants have expressed similar views on this matter. Intercontinental Exchange CEO Jeff Sprecher emphasized that the market has the ability to determine which products are suitable for year-round operation; Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman stated that they are preparing for a "24/5 stock market," but acknowledged that there are still technical and operational challenges.

)Nasdaq applied to the SEC to trade "tokenized stocks": settlement remains T+1, not open for 24/7 trading(

Don Wilson, founder of high-frequency trading firm DRW, also added that to allow the market to operate truly 24/7, there must be around-the-clock collateral liquidity, and asset tokenization could be the key solution.

Government shutdown becomes a variable: CFTC review is still a long way off.

Although the plan has been announced, the year-round 24/7 crypto derivatives trading by CME still requires review and approval from the CFTC. However, the U.S. government shutdown has led to a reduction in CFTC operations, making it nearly impossible for the review to be completed in the short term.

)Despite the U.S. government shutdown, the S&P 500 hits a new high, BTC returns to 118K(

As the day for the U.S. government's reboot remains distant, even though 24/7 trading is a clear direction, the implementation of the system still depends on political and regulatory progress.

CME takes the lead in depicting the future blueprint of TradFi

As market demand continues to rise, the trading volume of CME's crypto derivatives is reaching new highs.

Official data shows that by the third quarter of 2025, the average daily trading volume will reach 340,000 contracts, with a nominal value of up to 14.1 billion USD. As of mid-September, the open interest of CME's Crypto Assets derivatives amounts to approximately 39 billion USD, demonstrating its absolute advantage in the derivatives trading field.

Today, CME is taking the lead in calling for TradFi to move towards a 24/7 market, and in the future, it is expected to extend to the foreign exchange, stock, and even commodity sectors, promoting a rewrite of the rules of the financial system.

As Duffy said: "I believe this is what our future world will look like, and the market will ultimately demand all of this."

) BlackRock explores ETF tokenization, leading Wall Street giants on the path to on-chain financial markets (

This article says goodbye to the "CME gap"! The CME will launch 24/7 crypto derivatives trading in 2026, first appearing in Chain News ABMedia.