CME Group, a major US-based derivatives exchange, began offering Avalanche and Sui futures contracts to institutional investors. With this step, two new blockchains with high transaction capacity were added to CME’s crypto derivative products.
New futures and contract types
In addition to standard Avalanche contracts of 5,000 AVAX, CME also opened micro contracts of 500 AVAX. For Sui, standard contracts of 50,000 SUI and micro contracts of 5,000 SUI were listed. Thus, institutional investors can only take positions to benefit from price changes without directly owning these two cryptocurrencies. All contracts are settled in cash according to the reference price index on CME; In other words, Avalanche or Sui coins are not physically delivered to any user.
Two new additions to CME’s institutional derivatives offering
In its statement dated April 7, CME Group stated that the new Avalanche and Sui futures offer customers more options and flexibility. Giovanni Vicioso, the company’s manager of cryptocurrency products, stated that these contracts will enable new strategies for digital asset traders on the CME platform. With these contracts, AVAX and SUI join CME’s existing derivative products such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and Cardano.
In the product notes, it is reminded that Cardano, Chainlink and Stellar futures were launched in February, and now Avalanche and Sui have been added to this list. New contracts; It enables various strategies such as hedging, directional trading, basis difference transactions and comparative value analysis. Players can compare the price performance of blockchain projects by, for example, pairing AVAX or SUI futures with Solana, Bitcoin or Ethereum futures.
Mini dictionary: Futures is a derivative financial product that allows an asset to be bought and sold on a certain date and at a pre-agreed price; Profit or loss occurs based on price movements, without requiring physical delivery.
First block transactions and participants
CME reported that the first block transactions took place on May 6 between FalconX and G-20 Group, shortly after the products were launched. FalconX; It is known as a major US-based digital asset company that offers crypto trading, investment and risk management services to institutional clients. G-20 Group, on the other hand, develops financial services for institutional investors.
Joshua Lim, on behalf of FalconX, said that the futures in question directly meet the need for hedging and leverage in new cryptocurrencies. Jonathan Mathai from G-20 Group emphasized that large investors prefer US-based derivative products under conditions that require security and legal compliance.
KuCoin’s April analysis included the comment that with this move, a new era has begun in regulated crypto derivatives and that the interest of more cautious investors who want to access Avalanche and Sui with risk control on regulated exchanges may increase.
24-hour trading and future plans
CME announced that crypto futures will be traded every day of the week on its electronic platforms Globex and ClearPort starting May 29, 2026. Continuous buying and selling opportunities will be provided outside of daily and weekend maintenance intervals.
| Crypto Asset | Standard Contract Size | Micro Contract Size |
|---|---|---|
| Avalanche (AVAX) | 5,000 AVAX | 500 AVAX |
| Sui (SUI) | 50,000 SUI | 5,000 SUI |
CME thus aims for broader institutional participation in the crypto-based futures market by increasing both product diversity and trading hours.
