As the SEC and CFTC look into 24/7 trading hours for US capital markets, a number of established financial exchanges are asking to extend their hours in case this happens.
On Thursday, CME Group, the world’s largest derivatives exchange, revealed that crypto options and futures contracts would start trading 24 hours a day, seven days a week on May 29, as long as regulators give their consent.
According to the parent company of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, CME Group Cryptocurrency futures and options will trade continuously on CME Globex with at least a two-hour weekly maintenance period over the weekend.
The next business day will see the clearing, settlement, and posting of all trades made on market holidays and weekends, according to CME Group. Regulatory reports will likewise be filed the next business day.
CME says that the exchange’s average daily volume for crypto futures and options in 2026 is up 46% from the previous year.
Source: CME Group
SEC and CFTC Explore 24/7 Capital Markets
The move comes after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) made a joint statement in September about the possibility of moving to 24/7 capital markets in the US.
While exchanges are open longer, US regulators are looking into “always-on” markets. “Certain markets, like foreign exchange, gold, and crypto assets, already trade all the time.” The regulators added, “Extending trading hours even more could help US markets keep up with the changing reality of a global economy that is always on.”
Nasdaq and NYSE Also Expanding Trading Infrastructure
In March 2025, Nasdaq, a stock exchange that focuses on technology, said it would extend its trading hours to include 24-hour markets five days a week.
According to Nasdaq president Tal Cohen, the exchange plans to start offering longer trading hours in the second half of 2026.
Last month, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) said it was working on a way to trade tokenised stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
According to NYSE’s release, the new platform will have trading hours around the clock and will be able to work with blockchain-based systems. It will also allow multichain settlement and custody.
The company says that the introduction of the platform is part of a larger digital plan and will be a place to try out the idea of using tokenised collateral on the NYSE.