CME Group confirmed on 20 October that FalconX and GSR had executed the first block trade for its new Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap futures. The launch adds two cryptocurrency underlyings to an established futures-clearing route, giving brokers and institutional traders further tools to hedge or take exposure without holding the tokens.[1][4]
The contracts were scheduled for 19 October in CME’s September announcement. Its current product page now marks the suite as live and lists four contracts: a larger and a Micro version for each asset. The Micro contracts contain one tenth as many tokens as their corresponding larger contract.[2][3]
Contract units in the new CME suite
| Contract | Symbol | Tokens per contract |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin Cash futures | BCA | 250 BCH |
| Micro Bitcoin Cash futures | MCH | 25 BCH |
| UNI futures | UNI | 10,000 UNI |
| Micro UNI futures | MUN | 1,000 UNI |
The sizing has a direct effect on position sensitivity. Illustratively, a US$1 move in Bitcoin Cash changes the value of one BCA contract by US$250 and one MCH contract by US$25. A US$0.01 move in UNI changes the larger contract by US$100 and the Micro by US$10. These are arithmetic price-move examples before fees and other account effects.[3]
The contracts settle financially against their respective CME CF reference rates, so a cryptocurrency wallet is unnecessary. Access runs through a futures commission merchant or introducing broker. That places the new exposure within the broker’s futures margining and clearing arrangements, with the contract’s reference price determining settlement.[4]
Trading hours and clearing operate on different clocks
CME’s cryptocurrency schedule supports trading through weekends, apart from maintenance windows. However, trades from Friday evening through Sunday evening receive the following business day’s trade date; clearing, settlement and regulatory reporting are also processed on that business day. Brokers offering weekend access therefore need order and risk controls that work while parts of the post-trade cycle await the next business day.[4]
The first reported trade was a privately negotiated block, a route governed by eligibility and minimum-size requirements outside the central order book. It demonstrates institutional use at launch. Screen-based execution will depend on the prices and quantities available in each contract’s order book, a separate measure from the size of a negotiated block.[5][1]
Sources & further reading
- CME Group Announces First Trade for Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap Futures CME Group · 20 Oct 2026 · Accessed 20 Oct 2026
- CME Group to Expand Crypto Derivatives Suite with Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap Futures CME Group · 22 Sep 2026 · Accessed 20 Oct 2026
- Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap futures CME Group · Accessed 20 Oct 2026
- FAQ: Cryptocurrency Futures CME Group · Accessed 20 Oct 2026
- Block Trades CME Group · Accessed 20 Oct 2026