Key Takeaways
- • CME Group is scheduled to launch Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Uniswap (UNI) futures on Monday, October 19, 2026, bringing its single-asset crypto futures lineup to 11 contracts, according to the primary report.
- • Each token has a standard and a micro contract: BCH standard covers 250 BCH (micro 25 BCH), and UNI standard covers 10,000 UNI (micro 1,000 UNI).
- • At cited prices of $272.06 for BCH and $6.96 for UNI, a standard BCH contract carries about $68,000 notional and a standard UNI contract about $69,600.
- • The five altcoin contracts launched earlier in 2026 (Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche, Sui) generated more than $1 billion in year-to-date notional value, per CME.
- • The UNI contract could enable a spot Uniswap ETF under SEC generic listing standards, since a futures contract trading six months on a CFTC-regulated DCM would be satisfied in April 2027.
Summary
CME Group is scheduled to launch futures on Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap on Monday, October 19, adding the tenth and eleventh single-asset cryptocurrency contracts to the Chicago exchange's lineup. CME announced the products on September 22, although its product page still lists the launch as pending regulatory review.
Each token will carry a standard and a micro contract. Bitcoin Cash futures cover 250 BCH, with a micro version sized at 25 BCH, while Uniswap futures cover 10,000 UNI and the micro contract 1,000 UNI. At cited prices of $272.06 for Bitcoin Cash and $6.96 for Uniswap, a standard contract carries a notional value of roughly $68,000 for BCH and $69,600 for UNI.
CME Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products Giovanni Vicioso said in the announcement that "as crypto markets continue to mature, participants require broader, regulated tools to navigate evolving digital asset related price risk." The launches extend an altcoin expansion that began earlier this year with Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche and Sui futures, which CME said have generated more than $1 billion in year-to-date notional value. That remains a small share of its crypto business, where futures and options averaged 279,800 contracts a day, or $8.3 billion in notional value, in the first half of 2026, with average open interest of $15.4 billion.
The Uniswap listing also has implications beyond hedging. Bitwise filed an S-1 for a spot Uniswap ETF in February, naming Coinbase Custody as custodian. Under the generic listing standards the SEC approved in September 2025, a commodity-based ETP can list without a bespoke rule change if its underlying asset backs a futures contract traded for at least six months on a CFTC-regulated designated contract market. If the CME contract launches as planned, it would meet that test in April 2027.
CME publishes volume and open interest daily, and early data will indicate whether institutional demand for regulated exposure extends to tokens with market capitalisations of around $5 billion, per CoinGecko.
Each token will carry a standard and a micro contract. Bitcoin Cash futures cover 250 BCH, with a micro version sized at 25 BCH, while Uniswap futures cover 10,000 UNI and the micro contract 1,000 UNI. At cited prices of $272.06 for Bitcoin Cash and $6.96 for Uniswap, a standard contract carries a notional value of roughly $68,000 for BCH and $69,600 for UNI.
CME Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products Giovanni Vicioso said in the announcement that "as crypto markets continue to mature, participants require broader, regulated tools to navigate evolving digital asset related price risk." The launches extend an altcoin expansion that began earlier this year with Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche and Sui futures, which CME said have generated more than $1 billion in year-to-date notional value. That remains a small share of its crypto business, where futures and options averaged 279,800 contracts a day, or $8.3 billion in notional value, in the first half of 2026, with average open interest of $15.4 billion.
The Uniswap listing also has implications beyond hedging. Bitwise filed an S-1 for a spot Uniswap ETF in February, naming Coinbase Custody as custodian. Under the generic listing standards the SEC approved in September 2025, a commodity-based ETP can list without a bespoke rule change if its underlying asset backs a futures contract traded for at least six months on a CFTC-regulated designated contract market. If the CME contract launches as planned, it would meet that test in April 2027.
CME publishes volume and open interest daily, and early data will indicate whether institutional demand for regulated exposure extends to tokens with market capitalisations of around $5 billion, per CoinGecko.
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