CME Group announced Thursday that in early 2026 it will begin offering continuous, 24/7 trading of its cryptocurrency futures and options.
The move is a direct response to growing customer demand for regulated digital asset derivatives that enable 24-hour risk management.
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Tim McCourt, CME's global head of equities, foreign exchange, and alternative products, said:
"While not all markets lend themselves to operating 24/7, client demand for around-the-clock cryptocurrency trading has grown."
The decision follows public comments by CME Chairman Terry Duffy, who told regulators at a CFTC-SEC roundtable on Monday that "24 seven is coming" across the financial world.
He identified cryptocurrencies as the "best way to get there." Other exchange leaders, such as ICE's Jeff Sprecher and Nasdaq's Adena Friedman, expressed similar views on the sector's trajectory.