CME Group recorded $469.5 billion in notional crypto futures and options volume in Q3 2026, its biggest quarter in the business. Bitcoin and Ether products supplied most of the total, and the 24/7 trading model added weekend activity.
CME Group recorded $469.5 billion in notional trading volume across its crypto futures and options suite in Q3 2026, a record for the business. The Chicago-based exchange operator published the figures in its quarterly earnings release on October 21.
Bitcoin and Ether supply most of the volume
CME's Bitcoin suite accounted for $326.7 billion of the quarter's notional volume, while its Ether products added $118.8 billion. Together, the two assets made up $445.5 billion, leaving roughly $24 billion for the rest of CME's crypto menu.
The crypto suite averaged 196,000 contracts traded per day. Open interest stayed steady at around 197,000 contracts.
The earnings release also covered the wider business. CME reported total revenue of $1.737 billion, up 13% from the same quarter a year earlier.
Weekend trading picks up
CME launched a 24/7 trading model for crypto on May 29, 2026. Through Q3, the setup produced more than $3.7 billion in cumulative weekend notional volume.
The busiest weekend ran August 21-23, 2026, when traders moved 69,600 contracts worth $554.7 million in notional value.
Prices recover from Q2 lows
Regulatory progress and optimism in Washington helped underlying crypto assets recover, with Bitcoin climbing 43% and Ether rising 70% from their Q2 lows.
Still, CME's crypto business saw a decrease in average daily notional value and in micro-contract volumes during the period. CME also launched new Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap futures on October 19, 2026.
Source: Crypto Briefing
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