CME Group moves crypto trading to 24/7

Traders Union
All News
Crypto
CME Group moves crypto trading to 24/7

Highlights

CME Group crypto futures and options are moving to 24/7 trading on Globex and ClearPort.
The change reduces the weekend disconnect between CME Bitcoin futures and the always-open spot market.
Weekend trades will still clear on the next business day.
Liquidity remains deeper in ETF options and offshore perpetual futures, even after the CME schedule change.

A new schedule for institutional crypto trading

CME Group said its cryptocurrency futures and options would be available continuously beginning Friday, May 29, 2026. The products trade on CME Globex and ClearPort, with a daily two-minute maintenance window from 4:00 p.m. to 4:02 p.m. CT on weekdays and a two-hour maintenance window on Saturday from 2:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. CT. Weekend and holiday trades will carry the following business day as the trade date, with clearing, settlement, and regulatory reporting processed on the next business day.

Loading...

The tweet was deleted by the author.

But we saved everything 🙂.

The expanded schedule applies to CME cryptocurrency futures and options, including markets tied to major digital assets such as BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, ADA, LINK, XLM, AVAX and SUI. CME said client demand for digital-asset risk management has increased sharply, with its crypto futures and options reaching a record $3 trillion in notional volume in 2025. Year to date, average daily volume was 407,200 contracts, up 46% from a year earlier, while average daily open interest rose 7% to 335,400 contracts.

The CME gap loses its role

For years, CME Bitcoin futures closed from Friday to Sunday while Bitcoin continued trading on spot exchanges. That mismatch created the CME gap, a price difference between the Friday close and Sunday reopen that many traders treated as a technical signal. The new schedule largely removes that structure by allowing futures prices to adjust through the weekend.

CoinDesk reported that three CME gaps remain unresolved from this year. Two are above Bitcoin's current spot price near $80,000 and $78,500, while another sits below the market just under $70,000. Those levels may still attract attention, but the old pattern of fresh weekend gaps should become far less relevant under the new trading hours.

Market structure still has limits

The shift improves hedging access for asset managers, hedge funds, and corporate treasuries that use CME products to manage Bitcoin and broader crypto exposure. It may also reduce weekend risk premiums, because institutional traders no longer need to wait until Sunday evening or Monday to adjust positions.

Still, CME Group does not yet control the deepest pockets of crypto derivatives liquidity. BlackRock's IBIT options hold roughly $27 billion to $30 billion in open interest, compared with about $800 million to $900 million in CME Bitcoin futures options. Offshore perpetual futures also remain a major center of crypto trading. CME has removed an important friction point, but the battle for liquidity is not over.

Earlier, we reported that SpaceX trims IPO valuation target to $1.8 trillion as its debut nears.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.