CME Group, the world’s largest derivatives exchange, plans to launch futures contracts for Avalanche (AVAX) and Sui (SUI) on May 4, pending regulatory approval, according to a new announcement.
The move brings two more layer 1 blockchain assets into regulated derivatives trading, joining a roster that already includes Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar.
Avalanche, the high-throughput smart contract platform built by Ava Labs, and Sui, the Move-based blockchain developed by former Meta engineers at Mysten Labs, will each get both full-sized and micro-sized contracts. The full AVAX contract covers 5,000 tokens; the micro version, 500. For SUI, the numbers are 50,000 and 5,000 respectively.
AVAX currently trades around $8.6, a 94% decline from its November 2021 peak near $145, per CoinGecko. SUI sits at roughly $0.87, down about 84% from its January 2025 high of $5.3. Their combined market capitalization hovers around $7.1 billion.
Introducing these new futures contracts would expand client choice and enhance capital efficiency in their liquid crypto derivatives markets, said Giovanni Vicioso, CME Group Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products.
“We continue to see strong volumes as market participants turn to our markets to manage risk and pursue opportunities, with March average daily volume up 19% year-over-year and nearly $8 billion in average notional value traded daily,” Vicioso stated.
According to Justin Young, Volatility Shares’ co-founder, CME Group’s new derivatives offerings respond to growing interest in trustworthy crypto products. He added that more accessible markets enhance opportunities for both institutions and individual investors.
Institutional interest in digital assets is accelerating as markets mature and regulatory clarity improves, according to the 2026 EY-Parthenon and Coinbase survey of over 350 global institutional investors.
Adoption is moving beyond exploratory pilots toward deliberate portfolio and platform decisions, with 73% of respondents planning to increase allocations in 2026.
Institutions are prioritizing regulated access, risk management, liquidity, and governance, with 81% preferring spot exposure through registered vehicles such as ETFs and ETPs.
On May 29, CME will take a big step onto crypto markets, moving its entire futures and options complex to 24/7 trading.
Today, traditional futures markets shut down on weekends, leaving gaps that can be painful when crypto makes big moves on a Saturday night. Round-the-clock trading should tighten spreads and help prevent the kind of Sunday-night price swings that have historically challenged futures-based ETFs and hedging strategies.
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