CME Launches Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap Futures in Altcoin…

CME Group scheduled the launch of Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap futures for Oct. 19, pending regulatory review, adding two contracts to the world's largest regulated derivatives marketplace, Decrypt reported.The exchange announced the launch on Sept. 22, pending regulatory review, through a press release that confirmed both standard and Micro contract sizes.Bitcoin Cash futures represent 250 BCH per standard contract and 25 BCH per Micro contract. Uniswap futures cover 10,000 UNI at the standard size and 1,000 UNI at the Micro level. Both products are financially settled and based on CME CF reference rates, matching the structure of CME's existing crypto derivatives lineup.

CME's Altcoin Expansion Has Passed $1 Billion In Notional Value

The new contracts join futures on Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche and Sui. CME's 2026 altcoin additions, covering Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche and Sui, have generated more than $1 billion in total notional value year to date, the company stated. Avalanche and Sui futures launched in May, according to The Block.Across its full crypto suite, CME averaged 279,800 contracts in daily futures and options volume during the first half of 2026, equivalent to approximately $8.3 billion in notional value.

The Launch Extends CME's regulated Alternative to Offshore Perpetuals

Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap add regulated hedging instruments for two assets with established but distinct market profiles. Bitcoin Cash split from Bitcoin in 2017, built around a larger block size and lower transaction fees. Uniswap is one of the most-used decentralized exchange protocols, with UNI serving as the protocol's governance token. Both have liquid spot markets."The addition of Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap futures marks another important step in the continued expansion of CME Group's crypto futures offering," Justin Young, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Volatility Shares, said in CME's announcement. The dual-size structure gives institutional traders and smaller market participants access to the same regulated clearing and settlement infrastructure.First-day volume and open interest data will gauge whether institutional demand for BCH and UNI futures matches the uptake seen in CME's earlier altcoin launches. CME's broader crypto derivatives strategy continues to develop alongside its lawsuit against the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over perpetual futures, which remains active after the CFTC moved in September to dismiss the case.