CME Group Plans Round-the-Clock Crypto Derivatives Trading Starting in May
Traditional financial exchanges are filing to extend trading hours as US regulators at the SEC and CFTC investigate the possibility of implementing 24/7 trading schedules for American capital markets.
On Thursday, CME Group, which operates as the globe's most prominent derivatives exchange, announced plans to initiate round-the-clock trading for cryptocurrency futures and options contracts beginning May 29, subject to receiving regulatory authorization.
The parent company of The Chicago Mercantile Exchange stated in its announcement that "CME Group Cryptocurrency futures and options will trade continuously on CME Globex with at least a two-hour weekly maintenance period over the weekend."
According to CME Group's statement, all transactions executed during weekends and market holidays will undergo clearing, settlement and posting procedures on the subsequent business day, with regulatory compliance reports similarly submitted the following day.
CME data indicates that the exchange's daily average volume for cryptocurrency futures and options products has surged 46% year on year in 2026.
This development comes after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued a collaborative statement in September addressing the possible transition to round-the-clock capital markets across the United States.
Traditional exchanges extend operating hours as US regulators consider always-on markets
The joint regulatory statement noted, "Certain markets, including foreign exchange, gold, and crypto assets, already trade continuously. Further expanding trading hours could better align US markets with the evolving reality of a global, always-on economy."
During March 2025, technology-oriented stock exchange Nasdaq revealed plans to extend its operational hours to provide 24-hour market access five days per week.
According to a statement from Nasdaq president Tal Cohen, the exchange anticipates implementing the extended trading schedule during the latter half of 2026.
Last month, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) disclosed its development efforts for a new platform designed to facilitate trading of tokenized equities and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
According to the NYSE's public announcement, the forthcoming platform will operate with 24/7 trading capabilities and will possess the ability to connect with blockchain-based infrastructure, including functionality for multichain settlement and custody operations.
The company indicated that deploying this platform represents a component of its wider digital transformation strategy and will serve as an experimental environment for potentially incorporating tokenized collateral into NYSE operations.