CME Group, a US derivatives exchange, reported record cryptocurrency trading volumes during the fourth quarter of 2024 during its earnings call on February 12. According to CME, the average daily trading volume for crypto derivatives in Q4 2024 was approximately $10 billion.
These astronomical figures represent a 300% increase compared to the volume recorded in the previous year.
The exchange announced that 2025 is off to a strong start, with cryptocurrency contracts recording the highest-ever volumes in January.
Lynn Martin, CME’s chief financial officer, said during the call, “Overall, crypto derivatives were among the contracts that we saw the largest increases this year.”
In January, CME said it would list options tied to its “bite-sized” Bitcoin Friday futures. This was done because more and more regular investors are interested in cryptocurrency derivatives.
CME is one of the largest derivatives exchanges in the United States, with revenues of approximately $6 billion in 2024. It has not yet included contracts for other digital asset types, but it does list futures contracts and options that are linked to Bitcoin ($BTC ) and Ether ($ETH ).