CME Group plans to expand its cryptocurrency derivatives lineup with Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Uniswap (UNI) futures on October 19, 2026, pending regulatory review. The announcement adds two major altcoins to one of the largest regulated derivatives marketplaces.
The planned launch comes as institutional participation in crypto derivatives continues to grow. CME reported average daily crypto futures and options volume of 279,800 contracts during the first half of 2026, representing about $8.3 billion in daily notional value.
New Contract Sizes Target Different Traders
CME will offer both standard and Micro contracts for Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap. The planned contract sizes are:
- Bitcoin Cash futures: 250 BCH
- Micro Bitcoin Cash futures: 25 BCH
- Uniswap futures: 10,000 UNI
- Micro Uniswap futures: 1,000 UNI
The smaller contracts could give market participants more flexibility when managing exposure. CME’s existing cryptocurrency futures are financially settled and based on CME CF reference rates.
The exchange has also expanded its cryptocurrency infrastructure throughout 2026. Its lineup already includes futures linked to assets such as Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche and Sui.
Altcoin Derivatives Market Expands
CME said its 2026 additions to the altcoin futures market have generated more than $1 billion in total notional value year to date. The exchange has positioned the new contracts as tools for price discovery, hedging and managing digital asset risk within a regulated marketplace.
The announcement also comes after CME introduced a dedicated Uniswap reference rate earlier this year. That benchmark provides pricing data for the UNI market and supports the broader derivatives infrastructure surrounding the token.
If regulatory review proceeds as planned, BCH and UNI futures will begin trading on October 19. Their launch would give institutional and professional market participants another regulated venue for gaining or hedging exposure to the two cryptocurrencies.
