Key Takeaways
- • CME Group's first block trade in its new Uniswap (UNI) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) futures was executed by trading firms FalconX and GSR, according to CME's announcement on 20 October 2026.
- • UNI futures come in a standard size of 10,000 UNI per contract and a Micro size of 1,000 UNI per contract, making Uniswap the first DeFi protocol token with regulated futures on CME.
- • CME's release did not disclose the trade date, size, or price of the first block trade, nor whether contracts settle in cash or in tokens.
- • CME's 2026 crypto futures and options averaged more than 242,000 contracts ($7.9 billion) in daily volume and almost 240,000 contracts ($14.3 billion) in daily open interest, but these totals exclude any UNI-specific data.
- • Market watchers will track UNI open interest in the coming weeks to judge whether institutional demand for altcoin hedging is material.
Summary
CME Group has launched trading in Uniswap (UNI) futures, making UNI the first DeFi protocol token to be offered as a regulated futures contract on the exchange, according to Altcoin Buzz. On 20 October 2026, CME announced that FalconX and GSR had executed the first block trade in its new Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and UNI futures. A block trade is a large privately negotiated transaction between two parties. CME first announced the products on 22 September and had set 19 October as the launch date, pending regulatory review. CME's posted launch tweet from 19 October advertised 24/7 access and two contract sizes.
Each product is offered in a standard and a micro size. UNI futures are 10,000 UNI per contract, with Micro Uniswap futures at 1,000 UNI. BCH futures are 250 BCH per contract, with Micro Bitcoin Cash futures at 25 BCH. The announcement did not specify the date of the first trade, its size, or its price, and neither CME release states whether the contracts settle in cash or physically in tokens.
Giovanni Vicioso, CME's global head of cryptocurrency products, said that "trading now underway" gives clients "more versatility to manage cryptocurrency risk and exposure." Griffin Sears, head of derivatives at FalconX, said institutional demand "is moving beyond the largest digital assets toward tokens with distinct use cases," citing Bitcoin Cash in payments and Uniswap in decentralized finance. GSR chief executive Xin Song said the firm would support the futures "from day one."
The UNI and BCH contracts join an existing single-asset lineup that includes Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche and Sui futures. CME added the last five this year and says that expansion produced nearly $2 billion in year-to-date notional value growth. Across its full 2026 crypto futures and options suite, CME reports average daily volume of more than 242,000 contracts ($7.9 billion) and average daily open interest of almost 240,000 contracts ($14.3 billion). Those figures include Bitcoin and Ether and say nothing yet about UNI trading activity. Altcoin Buzz notes that UNI open interest in the coming weeks will be the key indicator of whether the institutional demand cited by the firms is materializing.
Each product is offered in a standard and a micro size. UNI futures are 10,000 UNI per contract, with Micro Uniswap futures at 1,000 UNI. BCH futures are 250 BCH per contract, with Micro Bitcoin Cash futures at 25 BCH. The announcement did not specify the date of the first trade, its size, or its price, and neither CME release states whether the contracts settle in cash or physically in tokens.
Giovanni Vicioso, CME's global head of cryptocurrency products, said that "trading now underway" gives clients "more versatility to manage cryptocurrency risk and exposure." Griffin Sears, head of derivatives at FalconX, said institutional demand "is moving beyond the largest digital assets toward tokens with distinct use cases," citing Bitcoin Cash in payments and Uniswap in decentralized finance. GSR chief executive Xin Song said the firm would support the futures "from day one."
The UNI and BCH contracts join an existing single-asset lineup that includes Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana, Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar, Avalanche and Sui futures. CME added the last five this year and says that expansion produced nearly $2 billion in year-to-date notional value growth. Across its full 2026 crypto futures and options suite, CME reports average daily volume of more than 242,000 contracts ($7.9 billion) and average daily open interest of almost 240,000 contracts ($14.3 billion). Those figures include Bitcoin and Ether and say nothing yet about UNI trading activity. Altcoin Buzz notes that UNI open interest in the coming weeks will be the key indicator of whether the institutional demand cited by the firms is materializing.
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