CME Group Crypto Derivatives Volume Increases 129% in April, with ETH Leading the Way
In April, the volume of cryptocurrency derivatives trading on the exchange increased significantly to $8.9 billion, which is associated with the growth of ether futures.
Author: Francisco Rodriguez | Edited by: Aoyon Ashraf Updated: May 3, 2025, 2:07 PM Published: May 3, 2025, 2:07 PM
What you need to know:
- The average daily cryptocurrency trading volume on CME in April was 183,000 contracts, up 129% year-over-year.
- Ethereum futures volume increased by 239%, while Bitcoin microcontracts rose by 115%.
CME Group's cryptocurrency derivatives platform saw a sharp increase in trading activity in April, reaching a new average daily volume (ADV) of 183,000 contracts worth $8.9 billion in equivalent, the company said.
This is 129% higher than the same month last year, indicating growing interest from institutional investors in the cryptocurrency markets.
Ether was the top performer. CME Ether futures ADV increased by 239% to 14,000 contracts, while Ether micro futures increased by 165% to 63,000. Bitcoin micro futures also showed growth by 115% to 78,000 contracts.
CME Bitcoin and Ethereum futures contracts have larger face values: 5 BTC and 50 ETH, respectively. Microcontracts, on the other hand, offer more precise trading conditions, representing only 0.1 of each cryptocurrency.
The exchange operator previously reported record crypto derivatives volumes in the first quarter of this year. In April, its total ADV reached a record 35.9 million contracts, up 36% year-on-year.
Ether, a notable underperformer in the overall crypto market, has gained just 1.1% over the past 30 days, while Bitcoin has gained 15.8%. The broader crypto market, as measured by the coinDesk 20 (CD20) index, has gained 12.1%.
