CME reported that its cryptocurrency futures and options saw an average daily volume of 279,800 contracts throughout the initial six months of 2026, translating to an aggregate notional value of $8.3 billion.
CME Group is preparing to introduce Bitcoin Cash (BCH) alongside Uniswap (UNI) futures contracts on October 19, subject to regulatory oversight, thereby broadening its catalog of individual cryptocurrency derivatives.
The platform will provide both standard and Micro sized agreements, scaling to 250 BCH and 25 BCH, as well as 10,000 UNI and 1,000 UNI respectively.
These upcoming instruments broaden the firm’s collection of single-asset cryptocurrency offerings, which currently features futures tracking Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche, and Sui.
“As cryptocurrency markets proceed to evolve, market participants demand more extensive, supervised instruments to handle shifting digital asset pricing risks,” remarked Giovanni Vicioso, who heads crypto products at CME Group, via an official release. “Tailored for enhanced flexibility and capital optimization, these fresh BCH and UNI options empower customers to mitigate price volatility and secure exposure to prominent blockchain networks inside our round-the-clock, supervised trading venue.”
Back in June, CME rolled out its continuous 24/7 cryptocurrency futures and options marketplace, recording $50 million in volume and exceeding 7,200 contracts transacted during its debut weekend.
CME noted that its digital asset futures and options reached a daily average of 279,800 contracts in the opening half of 2026, accounting for $8.3 billion in notional volume, whereas its broader rollout of alternative coin futures this year has accumulated over $1 billion in notional value.
During that exact month, CME Group filed a lawsuit against the Commodity Futures Trading Commission concerning perpetual futures stateside, claiming the regulatory body altered its stance abruptly. CME argued that the CFTC’s endorsement of perpetuals from Kalshi and Coinbase breaches the Commodity Exchange Act and puts its consumer-facing futures operations at risk.
Chief Executive Officer Terry Duffy of CME characterized those perpetual contracts as a “disaster waiting to happen,” pointing to retail-driven speculation and worries surrounding leveraged trading structures.
Originally published at https://www.theblock.co/news/markets/2026-09-22-cme-adds-bitcoin-cash-and-uniswap-futures-as-crypto-derivatives-push-grows-416049.
