TL;DR:
- CME Group plans to start 24/7 cryptocurrency futures and options trading on May 29 at 4:00 p.m. CT, pending regulatory review.
- Trading will run continuously on CME Globex with a two-hour weekly maintenance window, while weekend trades will carry the next business dayās trade date.
- CME plans to launch Avalanche and Sui futures on May 4, expanding a crypto derivatives complex posting higher volumes and open interest.
Crypto derivatives are edging closer to the 24/7 rhythm of the asset class. CME Group says its cryptocurrency futures and options will begin trading 24 hours a day, seven days a week starting Friday, May 29 at 4:00 p.m. CT, pending regulatory review. The shift puts a traditional-finance derivatives venue on a schedule far closer to the market it has been trying to serve. A longstanding mismatch between crypto pricing and exchange access is finally starting to close. For institutional traders, that could change how weekend risk and headline volatility are managed.
Our Crypto product suite is growing with new Avalanche and Sui futures. š
Available in both larger and Micro sizes, these contracts will offer the capital efficiency and versatility to expand your strategy. https://t.co/tAi0nZXh83 pic.twitter.com/kgbWzHyWTU
— CME Group (@CMEGroup) April 7, 2026
Why the May 29 switch matters
The new setup will still not be nonstop. CME said crypto futures and options will trade continuously on CME Globex with at least a two-hour weekly maintenance window over the weekend. Holiday and weekend trades executed from Friday evening through Sunday evening will carry the following business dayās trade date, with clearing, settlement and regulatory reporting processed on the next business day. The operating model is expanding dramatically, but the legacy framework around it remains visible. That balance reflects CMEās attempt to offer always-on access without discarding the discipline of regulated market infrastructure.
The timing matters because CME is broadening the menu before the schedule changes. The group plans to launch Avalanche and Sui futures on May 4, pending regulatory review, with both micro and larger contracts available. AVAX futures will represent 5,000 AVAX and Micro AVAX 500, while SUI futures will represent 50,000 SUI and Micro SUI 5,000. CME is not only extending trading hours, it is widening the range of assets traders can express views on. Those additions follow recently launched Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar futures.
The expansion is being justified by demand that looks harder to dismiss. CME said March average daily volume was up 19% year over year, with nearly $8 billion in average notional value traded each day. Earlier, the company said its crypto futures and options generated a record $3 trillion in notional volume across 2025, while year-to-date average daily volume has reached 407,200 contracts, up 46% from a year earlier. The signal from CME is that crypto derivatives are no longer a side business, but a core growth lane inside regulated markets. If the May 29 rollout holds, the line separating crypto-native market hours from traditional trading infrastructure will look thinner.
