CME to Launch 24/7 Bitcoin and Ether Futures and Options from May 29
CME Group will begin 24/7 trading for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) futures and options on its Globex platform from the afternoon of May 29, subject to regulatory approval. The continuous schedule removes the prior weekend gap while preserving at least a two-hour weekly maintenance window; trades executed on Friday–Sunday (and holidays) will carry the next business day’s trade date and be cleared, settled and reported on the next business day. CME reported a 46% year‑over‑year increase in daily average crypto futures and options volume in 2026 and rising BTC futures open interest, citing 24/7 trading as a way for institutional clients to manage off‑hours volatility and access weekend liquidity. Potential benefits include deeper liquidity, reduced weekend price swings and new trading opportunities; risks noted are maintenance outages, operational/clearing timing differences and pending regulatory review. The move follows joint SEC‑CFTC comments supporting round‑the‑clock capital markets and aligns with similar initiatives from Nasdaq and NYSE around extended crypto hours and tokenized products.
Bullish
Opening CME’s BTC and ETH futures and options to 24/7 trading increases continuous access for institutional and professional traders, which should raise liquidity and narrow spreads—especially over weekends when retail-only venues previously dominated. Higher liquidity tends to dampen volatility and supports larger order execution without extreme price impact, a bullish structural change for BTC and ETH price discovery. Short-term, the announcement can drive speculative volume and weekend trading flows that could produce price spikes as market participants reposition; however, any upside may be moderated by operational risks (maintenance windows, clearing/reporting lag to next business day) and regulatory review that could delay or alter implementation. Over the medium-to-long term, consistent trading hours on a major regulated venue reduce market fragmentation and likely improve institutional participation, which is constructive for price stability and market depth—hence an overall bullish outlook for BTC and ETH.