CME Group, the world's largest derivatives exchange, announced on April 7, 2026, that it will list regulated futures contracts for Avalanche (AVAX) and Sui (SUI) starting May 4, 2026, pending CFTC review. The exchange also confirmed that 24/7 trading for all its cryptocurrency derivatives will begin on May 29, 2026. This move expands CME's crypto product suite to eight digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, and now AVAX and SUI.
Contract Specifications and Trading Details
According to CME, the standard AVAX futures contract will be sized at 5,000 AVAX, with a micro contract of 500 AVAX. For SUI, the standard contract is 50,000 SUI and the micro is 5,000 SUI. All contracts are cash-settled, cleared through CME Clearing, and priced based on the CME CF New York settlement window reference rates. They will trade on the CME Globex platform and be eligible for block trades. The CFTC approval process is ongoing, but CME expects to meet the May 4 launch date.
Market Demand and Key Data
Giovanni Vicioso, CME Group's global head of cryptocurrency products, stated: “Our new Avalanche and Sui futures, in both micro and larger sizes, will give clients greater choice, increased flexibility, and enhanced capital efficiency within our deeply liquid, regulated crypto derivatives complex.” He noted that average daily volume in March rose 19% year-over-year, with notional value averaging nearly $8 billion per day. In 2025, CME's crypto futures and options notional volume reached $3 trillion. Year-to-date 2026, average daily volume stood at 407,200 contracts (+46%), with futures at 403,900 contracts (+47%) and open interest at 335,400 contracts (+7%).
24/7 Trading to Eliminate Weekend Basis Risk
Starting May 29 at 4:00 p.m. Central Time, all CME crypto derivatives will operate on a 24/7 continuous trading schedule, with only a two-hour weekly maintenance window. This change addresses a long-standing gap between regulated derivatives markets and spot crypto markets: when CME contracts were idle over weekends, spot prices continued moving, creating basis risk for hedgers. Weekend trades (Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon) will be assigned the next business day as the trade date, with clearing and settlement following the same calendar.
Tim McCourt, CME Group's global head of equity, FX, and alternative products, emphasized that client demand for digital asset risk management is at record levels. The micro contract structure lowers barriers for a broader set of participants, while standard contracts serve large institutions. With the addition of AVAX and SUI, CME solidifies its position as the world's largest regulated crypto derivatives venue.