CME Group to Launch Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap Futures

CME Group will launch futures contracts for Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap on October 19, pending regulatory review, the derivatives marketplace announced Tuesday.

The Chicago-based exchange, listed on NASDAQ as CME, will offer both contracts in standard and Micro sizes. Bitcoin Cash futures will represent 250 BCH per contract, while Micro Bitcoin Cash futures will cover 25 BCH. Uniswap futures will represent 10,000 UNI, with Micro contracts sized at 1,000 UNI.

The move extends a crypto derivatives lineup that already covers Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche and Sui. CME said it is introducing the new products in response to client demand, as institutional investors seek more ways to hedge exposure beyond the two largest cryptocurrencies.

"As crypto markets continue to mature, participants require broader, regulated tools to navigate evolving digital asset related price risk," Giovanni Vicioso, CME Group's global head of cryptocurrency products, said in a statement.

The numbers explain the strategy. CME's cryptocurrency futures and options averaged 279,800 contracts per day during the first half of 2026, representing $8.3 billion in notional value, per the company. Average open interest stood at 264,600 contracts, worth $15.4 billion in notional terms.

This year's expansion has already paid off. CME said its launches of Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche and Sui futures in 2026 have generated more than $1 billion in total notional value year to date.

The exchange is not alone in pushing deeper into the space. Regulated derivatives markets are becoming a larger part of crypto trading overall. Last week, Coinbase filed for regulatory approval to offer perpetual futures tied to approximately 50 to 60 major U.S. stocks, including Apple, Microsoft, Tesla and Nvidia.

Together, the moves signal a convergence: established exchanges are racing to build out regulated instruments that blur the line between traditional and digital asset markets. If the BCH and UNI contracts replicate the traction of this year's altcoin launches, CME will have further evidence that institutional appetite for crypto derivatives extends well past Bitcoin and Ether.