CME Group plans to launch futures tied to Avalanche and Sui on May 4, giving traders new regulated ways to bet on two rising layer-1 networks. The contracts will go live on that date if regulators grant final approval in time.
What CME is Listing for Avalanche and Sui
The exchange will list both standard and micro futures for every coin, according to CME’s release. Micro AVAX futures will cover 500 AVAX, while Avalanche (AVAX) futures will represent 5,000 AVAX per contract. Micro SUI futures will be sized at 5,000 SUI, whereas Sui (SUI) futures will track 50,000 SUI each contract.
CME will cash-settle all four contracts in U.S. dollars using once-a-day reference rates from CF Benchmarks, the same index provider behind its Bitcoin and Ether futures benchmarks. CF Benchmarks aggregates AVAX and SUI prices from multiple major exchanges and registers these rates under U.K. rules, which makes them suitable for institutional products.
The introduction, according to CME, expands its portfolio of regulated cryptocurrencies, which now includes futures on Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar. Sui has built a reputation for high-throughput, object-based smart contracts and an expanding DeFi and gaming environment, while Avalanche has emerged as a crucial chain for tokenized assets and DeFi.
Giovanni Vicioso, CME Group’s global head of cryptocurrency products, said clients want “greater choice, enhanced flexibility and more capital efficiencies” as they manage crypto risk. He noted that in March, crypto futures and options on CME saw average daily notional trading near 8 billion dollars, with volumes up 19% year over year. The new AVAX and SUI contracts aim to let firms hedge spot exposure or run relative-value trades between different layer-1s without touching unregulated venues.
Contract Design, Margins, and Trading Hours
Like CME’s other crypto derivatives, the Avalanche and Sui futures will be CFTC-regulated and centrally cleared, with margin requirements set using CME’s risk models. Standard and micro sizes allow both big institutions and smaller traders to fine-tune position size and capital use. The exchange has not yet published specific margins, but these will reflect recent volatility in AVAX and SUI spot markets.
Once approved, the contracts will trade on CME Globex nearly around the clock, and from May 29 they will join CME’s crypto suite in offering full 24/7 trading with a brief weekly maintenance window.
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