The Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (CME Group) announced on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, that it will list regulated futures contracts for Avalanche (AVAX) and Sui (SUI) effective May 4, 2026, subject to CFTC approval. This expansion brings the total number of digital asset futures offered by CME to eight, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, and now AVAX and SUI.
Contract Specifications and Clearing
The standard AVAX futures contract size is 5,000 AVAX and the micro contract size is 500 AVAX. For SUI, the standard futures contract size is 50,000 SUI and the micro is 5,000 SUI. Both contracts are cash-settled, cleared through CME Clearing, and priced based on the CME CF reference rates linked to New York settlement windows. The micro contracts provide greater flexibility for a wider range of participants, reducing capital requirements while maintaining institutional-grade infrastructure.
Giovanni Vicioso, Global Head of Crypto Products at CME Group, said the new listings give clients more choice, flexibility, and capital efficiency across a deeply liquid and regulated derivatives complex. He noted that average daily volume in March rose 19% year-over-year, with nearly $8 billion notional value traded each day.
Institutional Demand and Industry Reaction
Institutional partners voiced support. Justin Young, CEO of Volatility Shares, and Isaac Kahana, CEO of Plus500US, both pointed to growing demand from hedgers and investors seeking compliant exposure to alternative coins beyond the two flagship assets. The AVAX and SUI contracts will be eligible for block trades and will be traded on the existing CME Globex platform before migrating to the 24/7 trading program.
CME's crypto derivatives business achieved $3 trillion in notional volume in 2025. Year-to-date through early 2026, average daily volume reached 407,200 contracts, up 46% year-over-year; futures ADV stood at 403,900 contracts, a 47% increase. Average daily open interest was 335,400 contracts, up 7% year-over-year. These figures underscore sustained institutional demand for regulated crypto exposure.
24/7 Trading: A Game-Changing Milestone
First announced on February 19, the 24/7 trading program will go live on May 29, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. CT, transitioning the entire CME crypto derivatives suite to continuous trading with only a minimum two-hour weekly maintenance window. Weekend and holiday trades—those booked from Friday evening to Sunday evening—will carry the next business day's trade date. Clearing, settlement, and regulatory reporting will follow the same schedule.
The move to round-the-clock trading closes a long-standing gap between regulated derivatives and crypto spot markets, which operate continuously. Hedgers have faced basis risk during weekends when CME contracts were inactive but underlying prices continued moving. The new program directly addresses this.
Tim McCourt, Global Head of Equity, FX, and Alternative Products at CME Group, has explained on multiple occasions that client demand for risk management in digital assets is at an all-time high. The addition of AVAX and SUI futures, combined with the 24/7 trading pivot, positions CME to further solidify its leadership in regulated crypto derivatives.