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CME Group, the derivatives exchange giant favored by Wall Street, said it will begin offering 24/7 trading for its cryptocurrency futures and options on May 29, a major milestone in how traditional institutions access crypto markets. The move, the exchange said, aims to meet growing demand from professional investors who want to manage risk continuously even during weekends, when crypto volatility often spikes as institutional venues are closed. The decision to open around the clock was driven by growth, said Tim McCourt, CME’s global head of equities and FX, adding that crypto derivatives across CME venues hit a record $3 trillion in notional volume last year. “Client demand for risk management in the digital asset market is at an all-time high,” he said. ‘Violent price swings’ However, this move will have an even greater impact on how crypto trades on weekends. While crypto markets have always been live around the clock, CME’s derivatives — widely traded by hedge funds and institutions for their strict regulatory oversight — usually shut down on Friday evening and reopen on Sunday, while the spot market stays open 24/7. That discrepancy contribute to the well-known “CME gaps,” the empty price area between Friday’s close and Sunday’s open, leaving institutions exposed to weekend price swings without the ability to hedge. Experts say CME’s shift to always-on trading could reshape liquidity and trading dynamics across both institutional and retail crypto markets, especially around the weekends. “The most violent price swings happen precisely when institutional venues are dark,” said Bobby Ong, co-founder of CoinGecko. “CME’s move is a structural acknowledgment of what CoinGecko data has shown for years.” He said liquidation cascades during the weekend were a “predictable consequence” of thin, fragmented liquidity, noting that “CME [is] finally closing that gap.” Less dramatic moves What this will essentially…

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Filed under: News - @ February 21, 2026 1:15 pm