CME Eyes 24/7 Crypto Trading Expansion, Memecoin Offerings Excluded

CME Group Expands Crypto Futures but Stays Away from Memecoins

CME Group, the world’s largest derivatives exchange, is broadening its crypto futures offerings but remains firm on excluding memecoin products due to their lack of practical use.

While companies like VanEck and 21Shares are pursuing spot exchange-traded products (ETPs) linked to speculative tokens such as dogecoin (DOGE) and Trump Coin (TRUMP), CME is focusing on cryptocurrencies with real-world applications.

“We launch products only for coins and tokens that have a clear use case. Memecoins don’t fit that criterion, so we don’t expect to offer products in that space,” said Gio Vicioso, CME’s global head of cryptocurrency products.

Recently, CME added futures for solana (SOL) and XRP (XRP), complementing its existing bitcoin (BTC) and ethereum (ETH) futures. This approach is gaining traction: since its February launch, SOL futures have traded nearly $5 billion in volume, averaging $75 million to $100 million daily. XRP futures, introduced in May, set a record $235 million volume last Friday and have surpassed $2 billion in total volume.

CME futures trade on a weekly schedule from Sunday 6 p.m. ET to Friday 5 p.m. ET, with a one-hour daily maintenance window. This is different from spot crypto markets, which trade 24/7, a feature that U.S. stock exchanges like Nasdaq and NYSE are beginning to adopt to appeal to crypto investors.

Although CME has no immediate plans to offer round-the-clock trading, it is exploring the option. “We’re watching the space closely and considering how to close the trading gap on weekends as interest in our products grows,” Vicioso added.