The CME Group, the world's largest derivatives exchange, announced Tuesday that it will list futures contracts for Avalanche (AVAX) and Sui (SUI) starting May 4, 2026, subject to regulatory review by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The move expands CME's regulated cryptocurrency derivatives lineup to eight digital assets, reflecting surging institutional demand for altcoin exposure beyond bitcoin and ether.
Contract Specifications and Market Impact
According to the official announcement, the standard AVAX futures contract will represent 5,000 AVAX, while the micro contract will represent 500 AVAX. For SUI, the standard size is 50,000 SUI and the micro size 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.
Giovanni Vicioso, Global Head of Crypto Products at CME Group, said: “Our new Avalanche and Sui futures in micro and larger sizes will provide clients with more choice, greater flexibility, and enhanced capital efficiency across our deeply liquid, regulated crypto derivatives suite.” He noted that CME's crypto derivatives notional volume reached $3 trillion in 2025, and average daily volume (ADV) in March rose 19% year-over-year to nearly $8 billion notional per day.
Institutional partners echoed the demand. Justin Young, CEO of Volatility Shares, and Isaac Kahana, CEO of Plus500US, both highlighted growing interest from hedgers and investors seeking regulated access to altcoins beyond the two flagship assets.
The new contracts will be eligible for block trading and will initially trade on the existing CME Globex platform. They are then slated to move to CME’s planned 24/7 trading schedule, which launches on May 29, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. CT. At that point, CME's entire crypto derivatives suite—including Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, and now AVAX and SUI—will operate continuously with only a minimum two-hour weekly maintenance window.
The 24/7 Trading Era Arrives
CME first announced its intention to move to round-the-clock crypto derivatives trading on February 19, 2026. The move aims to close the long-standing gap between regulated derivatives markets and spot crypto markets, which operate 24/7. Previously, hedgers faced basis risk over weekends when CME contracts were inactive but underlying spot prices continued to move. The new schedule directly addresses this issue.
Trades executed during weekends and holidays—those recorded from Friday evening through Sunday evening—will have a next-business-day trade date. Clearing, settlement, and regulatory reporting will follow the same schedule.
Tim McCourt, CME Group's Global Head of Equities, FX, and Alternative Products, has repeatedly stated that client demand for risk management in digital assets is at an all-time high. The exchange recorded $3 trillion in notional volume across its crypto futures and options in 2025. Year-to-date through early 2026, average daily volume stands at 407,200 contracts, up 46% year-over-year. ADV for futures specifically reached 403,900 contracts, a 47% increase, while average daily open interest was 335,400 contracts, up 7%.
Institutional Demand Fuels Expansion
The addition of AVAX and SUI brings CME's crypto futures product line to eight assets: Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, and now Avalanche and Sui. All products are cash-settled and benefit from institutional-grade clearing infrastructure. The micro contract structure lowers barriers for a wider range of participants, while standard contracts address larger institutional requirements.
Industry analysts view CME's continued expansion as evidence of a structural shift in how traditional finance treats digital assets—moving from speculative instruments to mainstream risk management tools. With the pending launch of 24/7 trading, CME is positioning itself to capture cross-timezone and cross-asset hedging strategies that previously had to rely on unregulated venues for continuous exposure.