CME Group is moving its crypto derivatives market into a fully always-on model by launching 24/7 trading for cryptocurrency futures and options on the CME Globex starting May 29, pending regulatory approval. This marks a structural shift from its traditional schedule, where Bitcoin futures paused over the weekend.

Because Bitcoin trades continuously while CME futures previously closed from Friday to Sunday, price moves during the weekend created chart gaps known as “CME gaps.” These gaps became a popular trading narrative, with many traders expecting them to eventually be filled. With round-the-clock trading, the classic weekend gap setup largely disappears.

However, gaps will not vanish entirely. CME will still maintain a short weekly maintenance window of about two hours, which could still produce smaller, more technical price discontinuities if volatility and low liquidity coincide.

CME says the change is driven by strong institutional demand, citing multi-trillion-dollar notional crypto derivatives volume and rising average daily contracts and open interest. Continuous trading should allow institutions to hedge and adjust risk in real time rather than waiting for market reopenings, tightening the link between crypto and broader macro markets.

Mainstream financial coverage, including from Bloomberg, views the move as a meaningful market structure upgrade. Overall, the shift signals that crypto derivatives are becoming a normalized part of global financial infrastructure, while the famous CME gap narrative evolves rather than fully disappears.