Regulated AVAX and SUI Futures Coming to CME Group This May

Key Takeaways:

• CME Group added AVAX and SUI futures on April 7, 2026, with contracts launching May 4 pending CFTC review.
• CME crypto derivatives hit $3 trillion notional volume in 2025, with March ADV up 19% year-over-year.
• CME’s full crypto suite moves to 24/7 trading on May 29, 2026, covering Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, and more.

CME Group Crypto Futures Now Cover Eight Assets With AVAX and SUI Addition

Tuesday’s announcement expands a product lineup that now covers eight digital assets, including bitcoin, ether, solana, XRP, cardano, chainlink, and stellar. AVAX and SUI become the newest additions, each offered in standard and micro sizes to give participants more flexibility across position sizes and capital requirements.

AVAX futures will be sized at 5,000 AVAX for the standard contract and 500 AVAX for the micro. SUI futures will carry standard sizing of 50,000 SUI and micro sizing of 5,000 SUI. Both contracts are cash-settled, cleared through CME Clearing, and priced off CME CF reference rates tied to New York settlement windows.

Giovanni Vicioso, CME Group’s global head of cryptocurrency products, said the new listings give clients greater choice and capital efficiency across a liquid, regulated complex. He noted March average daily volume climbed 19% year over year, with nearly $8 billion in average notional value traded each day.

“Our new micro- and larger-sized avalanche and sui futures will provide clients with greater choice, enhanced flexibility and more capital efficiencies across our deeply liquid, regulated Crypto derivatives complex,” Vicioso remarked.

Institutional partners also weighed in. Justin Young, CEO of Volatility Shares, and Isaac Cahana, CEO of Plus500US, both pointed to growing demand from hedgers and investors seeking regulated exposure to altcoins beyond the two flagship assets.

The AVAX and SUI contracts will be block-eligible and will trade on the existing CME Globex platform before transitioning to the 24/7 schedule. That schedule, announced Feb. 19, takes effect May 29, 2026, at 4 p.m. CT, when CME’s full crypto derivatives suite moves to continuous trading with only a minimum two-hour weekly maintenance window.

Holiday and weekend trades, those placed Friday evening through Sunday evening, will carry a trade date of the following business day. Clearing, settlement, and regulatory reporting will follow the same schedule.

Tim McCourt, CME Group’s global head of equities, FX, and alternative products, explained on various occasions that client demand for risk management in digital assets is at an all-time high. The company recorded $3 trillion in notional volume across its crypto futures and options in 2025.

Year-to-date figures through early 2026 show average daily volume of 407,200 contracts, up 46% year over year. Futures average daily volume reached 403,900 contracts, up 47%. Average daily open interest stood at 335,400 contracts, a 7% year-over-year gain.

The move to around-the-clock trading closes a long-standing gap between regulated derivatives markets and spot crypto markets, which run continuously. Hedgers have faced basis risk during weekend hours when CME contracts were inactive but underlying prices kept moving. The new schedule addresses that directly.

Both the AVAX and SUI futures launches, as well as the 24/7 trading exchange. CME has not confirmed a final approval timeline from the CFTC.

All CME crypto products are cash-settled and carry institutional-grade clearing infrastructure. The micro contract structure lowers barriers for a broader set of participants while the standard contracts serve larger institutional needs.