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CME Group Launches Options on Bitcoin Friday Futures

CME Group, recognized worldwide as a leader in derivatives trading, has announced an exciting addition to its offerings: options on Bitcoin Friday futures. This new product is set to make its debut on February 24, 2025, subject to regulatory approval. These options mark a pivotal moment in the cryptocurrency space as they will be the first that are financially settled and will have expirations available every business day from Monday to Friday.

What This Means for Traders

Giovanni Vicioso, the Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products at CME Group, expressed enthusiasm about the launch, highlighting that the options provide traders with enhanced precision in managing short-term price risks associated with Bitcoin. The introduction of smaller contract sizes, along with daily expiries, equips market participants with a more efficient capital management toolkit to adjust their Bitcoin exposure effectively.

The new options will complement CME Group's current offerings in cryptocurrencies, which already include physically-settled options for Bitcoin, Ether, Micro Bitcoin, and Micro Ether futures. This expansion is designed to amplify risk management flexibility available to investors within this dynamic asset class.

As Joshua Lim, Global Co-head of Markets at FalconX, stated, the increasing diversity of tradable catalysts in crypto necessitates granularity in hedging strategies, and the new options aim to fulfill this need. Similarly, Jason Urban, Global Head of Trading at Galaxy, noted that the introduction of these options provides a timely and significant addition to the market, enhancing the way liquidity providers can optimize their risk management.

Trailblazing Success

Since the launch of Bitcoin Friday futures on September 29, 2025, the performance metrics have been impressive, with over 775,000 contracts traded and an average daily volume reaching 9,700 contracts. Remarkably, 44% of these contracts were traded outside U.S. trading hours, indicating a strong global interest.

The momentum behind these products underscores the growing appetite for innovative and flexible trading instruments within the cryptocurrency market.

A Leader in Derivatives Trading

CME Group’s reputation as the leading marketplace in derivatives includes a vast range of global benchmark products across major asset classes such as interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, and agricultural commodities. This wide array of offerings, combined with state-of-the-art technologies like the CME Globex platform for futures trading, continues to empower market participants to efficiently manage risk and seize opportunities.

To learn more about the new options on Bitcoin Friday futures, visit cmegroup.com/bff.

Conclusion

The emerging landscape of cryptocurrency trading is rapidly evolving, and with CME Group leading the way with innovative products like the Bitcoin Friday futures options, traders now have more tools than ever to navigate this volatile market. The increased flexibility and precision these options offer will undoubtedly enhance the overall trading experience for investors in the ever-growing world of digital assets.