Crypto Derivatives Surge on CME as Institutional Traders Ramp Up Activity

The global derivatives marketplace saw a sharp rise in crypto contract activity in April, with average daily volumes soaring to 183,000 contracts—translating to $8.9 billion in notional value.

Compared to the same period in 2024, this represents a 129% year-over-year increase, signaling accelerating institutional participation in crypto-linked instruments.

Ether contracts stood out as the fastest-growing segment. Standard ether futures climbed 239% in volume, averaging 14,000 contracts per day. Micro ether futures also saw impressive growth, up 165% to 63,000 contracts. Meanwhile, micro bitcoin futures recorded a 115% rise, reaching 78,000 daily contracts.

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CME’s larger futures contracts are tied to full units—5 BTC or 50 ETH—while its micro Futures

The strong April performance builds on an already record-breaking Q1 for CME’s crypto derivatives. Overall trading across all CME markets reached an average of 35.9 million contracts daily, up 36% year-over-year.

Despite the spike in trading volume, Ether’s price remained relatively flat, gaining just over 1% in April. In contrast, Bitcoin posted a 15.8% monthly increase, while the CoinDesk 20 index—used to track the broader market—rose by 12.1%.

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