What is a CME Bitcoin Futures Gap?

A CME Bitcoin Futures Gap is a price discrepancy on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Bitcoin futures chart, occurring when Bitcoin’s spot market price moves significantly while CME futures are closed. This creates a gap between the prior session’s closing price and the next session’s opening price. CME futures trade from Sunday 5:00 PM CT to Friday 4:00 PM CT (with a 60-minute daily break), while Bitcoin’s spot market operates 24/7 globally. When spot prices shift during CME closures (e.g., weekends or holidays), futures reopen at a new price, leaving a visible "gap" on the chart. Traders often monitor these gaps, as Bitcoin prices historically revisit ("fill") these levels, turning them into support/resistance zones.

Key Characteristics of CME Gaps:

- Cause: Price movements in Bitcoin’s 24/7 spot market during CME’s closed hours (weekends, holidays, or daily breaks).

- Types:

- Common Gaps: Routine, minor discrepancies usually filled quickly.

- Breakaway Gaps: Signal strong new trends (e.g., during major news events).

- Exhaustion Gaps: Indicate a trend’s end, often preceding reversals.

- Filling the Gap: ~70-80% of CME gaps are filled as prices revert to the gap range. This is driven by market efficiency, trader psychology, and institutional strategies.

- Trading Significance: Gaps act as technical support/resistance levels. Traders use them alongside indicators (e.g., RSI, volume) for entry/exit signals.

Example of a CME Gap:

- Friday Close: CME futures end at $109,000.

- Weekend Spot Movement: Bitcoin’s price rises to $111,000 on global exchanges.

- CME Reopening: Futures open at $111,000 on Sunday, creating a gap between $109,000–$111,000.

- Gap Fill: Traders anticipate Bitcoin’s price retracing to this range, potentially entering short/long positions.

Recent CME Gap Data (as of June 2025):

1. June 2, 2025: Gap at $104,580 (source: [@KillaXBT](https://x.com/KillaXBT/status/1929300337350815994)).

2. May 31, 2025: Gap at $104,030 (source: [@ByCoinvo](https://x.com/ByCoinvo/status/1928768670664171800)).

3. March 2, 2025: Largest recorded gap (**$84,650–$94,000**) after Bitcoin surged to $95,000 on U.S. crypto reserve news (source: [Cointelegraph](https://cointelegraph.com/news/largest-ever-cme-gap-has-just-printed-in-bitcoin-futures)).

Visualizing a CME Gap:

- March 2025 Gap:

- CME closed Friday at $84,650.

- Over the weekend, spot prices spiked to $94,000.

- CME reopened Sunday at $94,000, leaving a gap of $9,350.

- The gap appeared as a blank vertical space on the chart (no trades between $84,650 and $94,000).

- How to view:

- Check CME ticker BTC1! on [TradingView](https://www.tradingview.com/).

- Use daily/weekly charts to spot gaps (e.g., blank zones between Friday close and Sunday open).

Trading CME Gaps:

- Strategy: Enter trades when prices approach the gap zone. Example:

- Short position if price nears a gap’s top ($104,580 in June 2025), anticipating a fill.

- Risk Management:

- Confirm with RSI, volume, or trendlines (gaps aren’t always filled immediately).

- Set stop-losses beyond the gap range to avoid false signals.

- March 2025 Case: The $84,650–$94,000 gap could act as support if prices decline.

Relevance to Bitcoin Price (June 12, 2025):

- Current Price: $109,808 USD (neutral RSI: 47.4).

- Nearest Gap: $104,580 (June 2, 2025).

- Analysis:

- Filling the $104,580 gap would require a ~5% drop.

> Key Takeaway: CME gaps provide strategic entry points but require confirmation from broader market trends. Always combine with other market analysises.

Sources:

Cointelegraph

(https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-cme-gaps-how-to-trade-them) |

TokenInsight

(https://tokeninsight.com/en/tokenwiki/all/what-is-cme-bitcoin-futures-gaps)

Bitget Academy

(https://www.bitget.com/academy/cme-gap-a-primer)

Millionero

(https://blog.millionero.com/blog/what-are-cme-gaps-and-how-to-trade-them)