CME Launches 24/7 Bitcoin Futures, Closing CME Gap

The CME Group has launched round-the-clock trading for its regulated Bitcoin futures and options, effectively eliminating a long-standing structural feature of the cryptocurrency market known as the "CME gap." The change, which began on May 29, allows trading 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the Globex electronic platform, subject to a 60-minute weekly maintenance pause on Sundays.

For years, CME's Bitcoin derivatives closed every Friday and reopened on Sunday, creating a predictable disconnect with the continuously trading spot market. This weekend closure resulted in visible gaps on price charts, which traders often exploited, betting that prices would move to "fill" the gap upon the Sunday reopen. Thin weekend liquidity frequently exaggerated these price movements, leading to volatility spikes when the futures market resumed trading.

The shift to continuous trading is a response to growing institutional demand for cryptocurrency risk management. CME reported record notional volume of $3 trillion across its crypto futures and options in 2025, alongside significant year-over-year growth in average daily volume and open interest. The move allows asset managers, hedge funds,...