Starting May 29, 2026, CME’s full cryptocurrency futures suite trades around the clock on regulated CME Globex — Bitcoin (BTC, MBT) and Ether (ETH, MET) featured here, with Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche, and Sui futures all available through Optimus. Go long or short, weekends and holidays included, no wallet required.
*Pending regulatory review.
Built For 24/7 Crypto
Optimus Futures gives you access to CME’s regulated crypto futures markets on the platforms you already know — with no wallet, no custody risk, and no offshore exchange. With the 24/7 expansion, the futures market finally tracks spot crypto around the clock.
For illustrative purposes only
Why Futures, Not Spot
CME-cleared crypto futures remove the friction points retail traders hit on spot exchanges. Here’s what changes.
Same broker, same platform, same account — now open Saturday, Sunday, and US federal holidays after May 29.
No borrow fees, no share locate. Hit the bid as easily as the ask — symmetrical margin both directions.
Financially settled to the CME CF Reference Rate. No private keys, no cold storage, no withdrawal screens.
CME Globex under CFTC oversight. Not an offshore exchange. Customer funds segregated under CFTC Rule 1.20.
Contract Specifications
Side-by-side specifications for the BTC, MBT, ETH, and MET futures listed on CME Globex. For Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche, or Sui futures specs, contact our team.
| Contract | Symbol | Contract Size | Min. Tick | Tick Value | Settlement | Trading Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin Futures | BTC | 5 bitcoin | $5.00 per bitcoin | $25.00 | Cash-settled to BRR | 24/7 |
| Micro Bitcoin Futures Featured | MBT | 0.10 bitcoin | $5.00 per bitcoin | $0.50 | Cash-settled to BRR | 24/7 |
| Ether Futures | ETH | 50 ether | $0.05 per ether | $2.50 | Cash-settled to ETHUSD_RR | 24/7 |
| Micro Ether Futures Featured | MET | 0.10 ether | $0.05 per ether | $0.05 | Cash-settled to ETHUSD_RR | 24/7 |
24/7 trading begins May 29, 2026, subject to regulatory review. Margin requirements set by CME and Optimus’s clearing FCMs; contact our team for current crypto futures margins. CME’s full crypto suite also includes Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche, and Sui futures — all supported by Optimus. View CME’s full cryptocurrency products →
Pick Your Crypto Contract
BTC and ETH cover the two largest cryptocurrencies by market cap. The micros — MBT and MET — let active traders size in at one-tenth the notional. Optimus also supports CME’s broader crypto futures suite (Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche, Sui) — contact our team for those.
The benchmark contract for institutional Bitcoin exposure on a US-regulated exchange.
1/10 the size of one Bitcoin. The capital-efficient way to start trading Bitcoin futures.
View Micro Bitcoin Futures →The benchmark contract for Ether exposure, second largest cryptocurrency by market cap.
1/10 the size of one Ether. Lower margin requirement for fine-tuning Ether exposure.
View Micro Ether Futures →CME Futures vs Spot Bitcoin ETFs
Spot Bitcoin ETFs like BITO and IBIT only trade when stock markets are open. CME crypto futures — after May 29 — never close.
Comparison reflects publicly available product features as of May 2026 and is intended as a general reference, not investment advice. Margin requirements vary by FCM and market conditions. Tax treatment varies by jurisdiction — consult a tax professional. Both products carry substantial risk; past performance does not indicate future results.
What Moves Crypto Futures
The drivers behind BTC and ETH price movement — the patterns active traders watch.
Daily inflows and outflows from BITO, IBIT, FBTC, and other spot Bitcoin ETFs translate directly into spot demand and futures basis.
Bitcoin’s issuance halves roughly every four years. Supply-side scarcity events are a long-standing structural driver.
SEC, CFTC, and executive-branch action on crypto custody, exchanges, and ETF approvals can move the entire complex.
Hash rate, energy costs, and miner reserves drive supply pressure. Forced selling around halvings shapes price floors.
Net inflows to Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken signal selling intent; outflows to cold storage signal accumulation.
DXY moves, Fed expectations, and broad risk-on/risk-off rotations correlate increasingly with crypto over multi-week windows.
Get Started
Apply online in minutes. Once funded, your account clears through one of our highly capitalized FCMs.
Optimus Flow, TradingView, Sierra Chart, Bookmap, ATAS — trade crypto futures on the platform you already use.
Go long or short on BTC, MBT, ETH, or MET. Weekends, holidays, overnight — all on CME Globex.
Recognized Excellence
Year after year, Optimus Futures earns recognition from the publications and platforms that active traders actually use. Three consecutive Benzinga Awards for Best Futures Trading Software. A top-2 ranking from BrokerChooser. Featured among TradingView’s top-ranked futures brokers.
Behind those awards: institutional-grade execution through one of the industry’s most highly capitalized FCM networks, deep integrations across Optimus Flow, TradingView, Sierra Chart, Bookmap, ATAS, and more, and a trader-first support team based in Boca Raton, Florida — the same team you reach when you have a question about your 24/7 crypto futures position.
Open AccountThree consecutive years
FAQ
All of CME Group's cryptocurrency futures are included in the 24/7 expansion. Optimus Futures currently provides direct landing-page coverage for the Bitcoin contracts (BTC, MBT) and Ether contracts (ETH, MET); contact our team for support on Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche, or Sui futures.
Starting May 29, 2026, CME crypto futures trade 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays. The only interruptions are a 2-minute window each weekday at the 4:00 PM CT close, and a 2-hour weekly maintenance window on Saturday from 2:00 to 4:00 AM CT. Total weekly downtime drops from ~43 hours to about 2 hours 15 minutes.
No changes are required on your end. Existing order entry, charting, and platform connections continue to work as they do today. The infrastructure update happens at the exchange and clearing-firm level — not at the retail trader level. You'll simply find the market open when you log in on a Saturday or Sunday after May 29.
Day orders, market orders, and immediate-or-cancel orders are unaffected. Resting Good Till (GT) orders are handled based on your futures commission merchant's configuration with CME's GC2 weekend support system. Contact Optimus Futures support directly to confirm our GT order handling before May 29. For the full operational breakdown, see our CME 24/7 expansion explainer.
CME Group has not announced any margin changes in connection with the 24/7 expansion. Initial and maintenance margin levels for BTC, MBT, ETH, and MET futures remain as currently set. CME periodically adjusts margins based on volatility — a process independent of this expansion. Contact our team for current margin requirements on crypto products.
CME crypto futures are Section 1256 contracts, which receive 60/40 tax treatment — 60% of gains taxed at long-term capital gains rates and 40% at short-term rates, regardless of holding period. Spot crypto is taxed as property at standard short or long-term rates based on holding period. Consult a qualified tax professional for guidance on your specific situation.
View our complete FAQ center or reach out to our dedicated support team, we're here to help.
Contact UsNFA & CFTC Notice: Optimus Futures is a member of NFA and is subject to NFA’s regulatory oversight and examinations. However, you should be aware that NFA does not have regulatory oversight authority over underlying or spot virtual currency products or transactions, or virtual currency exchanges, custodians, or markets. Please review the NFA Investor Advisory — Futures on Virtual Currencies and the CFTC Customer Advisory — Understand the Risks of Virtual Currency Trading.
Virtual currencies have routinely experienced daily price volatility of more than 20%. The risks associated with extreme price volatility and the possibility of rapid and substantial price movements could result in significant losses.
Virtual currencies trade across many privately negotiated transactions and exchanges. The lack of a centralized pricing source poses valuation challenges. Dispersed liquidity may pose challenges for market participants trying to exit a position, particularly during periods of stress.
The cybersecurity risks of virtual currencies and related wallets or spot exchanges include hacking vulnerabilities. A cybersecurity event could result in substantial, immediate, and irreversible loss for market participants.
Virtual currencies face an uncertain regulatory landscape in the US and many foreign jurisdictions. Future laws or regulations may impact the price of virtual currencies and their acceptance.
Optimus Futures and/or our clearing FCMs reserve the right to impose more restrictive limits and to liquidate positions through any means available, without prior notice. Digital currency futures have limited history; periods of limited volume or liquidity may impact price movement and execution.
For the full risk disclosure block, see the Bitcoin and Virtual Currency Risk Disclosures page.