CME Group launched 24/7 trading of crypto futures and options on Globex starting May 29, bringing the trading hours of traditional regulated markets closer to the 24-hour cycle of crypto assets. The new offering covers XRP, Bitcoin, and Ethereum, and expands to include assets such as Solana, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche, and Sui.
Trading hours are open nearly all week.
According to CME’s schedule, crypto derivatives will enter continuous trading mode starting at 4:00 PM Friday, remaining largely open except for at least a two-hour system maintenance window over the weekend.
This means institutional investors can hedge, rebalance, and manage risk even on weekends and holidays, without having to wait for traditional markets to resume trading to address position fluctuations.
However, trades executed on weekends and holidays will still be settled, cleared, and reported on the next business day. CME has maintained its existing back-office processing schedule while extending front-end trading hours to nearly 7×24.
Expanded coverage to include more tokens
This adjustment involves more than just Bitcoin and Ethereum. CME has also expanded continuous trading to include additional major tokens, such as XRP, ADA, LINK, XLM, AVAX, and SUI.
From a product structure perspective, this reflects growing institutional demand for crypto derivatives extending beyond the two major cryptocurrencies to include assets related to payments, cross-chain interoperability, and smart contract ecosystems. For regulated platforms, expanding the range of tradable assets also helps enhance liquidity continuity across different regions and time zones.
- The notional trading volume of XRP futures over the past year was $62.87 billion.
- In 2025, the notional volume of crypto futures and options reached approximately $3 trillion.
- Maintain a minimum two-hour system maintenance window over the weekend.
CME says institutional demand continues to rise
Tim McCourt, Head of Global Equities, Foreign Exchange, and Alternative Products at CME, previously stated that demand from clients for cryptocurrency risk management tools has surged, driving continued growth in the trading volume of related futures and options.
Under this context, 24/7 trading directly addresses the risk exposure institutions face during non-trading hours. Macroeconomic news or sudden crypto events often trigger volatility when traditional markets are closed; extended trading hours enable institutions to hedge and adjust positions more quickly.
For the market, this change may also reduce price gaps between weekends and weekdays, improve continuity in cross-timezone trading, and bring price discovery on regulated markets closer to the pace of on-chain and spot markets.