CME Group Eyes 24/7 Crypto Futures Trading, Rules Out Memecoins

CME Group is reportedly exploring 24/7 trading for its crypto futures platform, while confirming it has no plans to list derivatives based on memecoins.

CME’s crypto contracts currently trade from Sunday 6 p.m. Eastern Time to Friday 5 p.m. ET, with a one-hour daily maintenance window. This schedule creates approximately 49 hours offline each weekend. Exchange executives said a 24/7 model could eliminate this gap and provide clients with uninterrupted access for hedging and speculation.

The current arrangement differs from spot and futures crypto markets, which operate continuously without daily closures. CME officials said aligning operating hours with these always-on venues could attract participants active outside traditional market hours.

Giovanni Vicioso, CME’s global head of cryptocurrency products, said the exchange will continue evaluating market demand, compliance requirements and system readiness before making formal decisions on extending hours. The evaluation includes potential system upgrades and staffing adjustments.

CME expanded its crypto offerings with Solana futures in March 2025 and XRP futures in May 2025, adding to its existing Bitcoin and Ethereum contracts. SOL futures volumes have reached nearly $5 billion since launch, averaging $75 million to $100 million daily. Vicioso confirmed CME will not pursue memecoin derivatives.

“We’re launching these products based on underlying coins and tokens that have a use case, so I don’t anticipate that we will be doing anything in the memecoin space, as the use case for such products is really not there,” he said.

Despite filings by institutional managers like 21Shares to list spot ETPs for coins like Dogecoin and Trump Coin, CME’s leadership said it will focus on tokens that support core blockchain functions and financial infrastructure.

CME first launched Bitcoin futures on December 18, 2017, under contract code BTC, providing a regulated venue for institutional bitcoin trading. Ether futures followed on February 8, 2021, under contract code ETH. The 2025 additions of Solana and XRP futures reflect the exchange’s strategy to expand its digital-asset derivatives suite.