CME adds Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap futures as crypto derivatives push grows

CME Group plans to list futures on Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Uniswap (UNI) on Oct. 19, subject to regulatory review, extending the exchange operator's push into single-asset crypto derivatives. Both products will be offered in standard and Micro sizes: 250 BCH and 25 BCH contracts, alongside 10,000 UNI and 1,000 UNI contracts.

The additions broaden a lineup that already covers Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche and Sui. CME's crypto product lead, Giovanni Vicioso, framed the launch as a response to a maturing market, saying participants "require broader, regulated tools to navigate evolving digital asset related price risk."

Capital efficiency pitch

Vicioso added that the BCH and UNI contracts were designed for "greater versatility and capital efficiency," allowing clients to hedge price risk and take exposure to additional crypto networks inside CME's regulated, 24/7 marketplace.

The expansion lands on top of rising activity at the exchange. CME said its crypto futures and options averaged 279,800 contracts per day in the first half of 2026, equivalent to $8.3 billion in notional value, while altcoin futures added during the year have generated more than $1 billion in notional value. In June, the company opened a round-the-clock crypto futures and options market, which traded $50 million and more than 7,200 contracts over its opening weekend.

The derivatives push is unfolding alongside a regulatory fight. That same month, CME sued the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over perpetual futures in the United States, arguing the agency "suddenly" reversed course and that its approval of Kalshi and Coinbase perps breaches the Commodity Exchange Act while threatening CME's retail futures business. Chief executive Terry Duffy has described perpetual futures as a "disaster waiting to happen," pointing to retail speculation and high-leverage trading models.

Friday's futures announcement does not address that litigation directly. CME's newest contracts remain subject to regulatory sign-off before the Oct. 19 start date.