CME Group announced on February 19 that it plans to move its cryptocurrency futures and options to 24/7 trading starting May 29, 2026, pending regulatory review.
What changes
Crypto is the only major asset class that trades continuously, yet CME's regulated bitcoin and ether contracts have followed a traditional weekday schedule. That left institutional traders unable to hedge on CME during weekend moves — a gap that pushed weekend volume to offshore venues and created the well-known "CME gap" on Monday opens.
Under the new schedule, crypto contracts will trade continuously on CME Globex, with a short weekly maintenance window over the weekend.
Why it matters
- Institutions get a regulated venue to manage risk at any hour, including during weekend volatility such as the early-February crash.
- Price discovery on CME should track spot markets more closely, reducing Monday-open gaps.
- Competition intensifies with crypto-native derivatives venues that already offer round-the-clock perpetuals.
The announcement lands in a turbulent month for crypto prices, but it underlines how far traditional market infrastructure is going to accommodate digital assets.
