SGX’s Bitcoin and Ethereum Perpetual Futures Debut Strong with $35 Million Volume

SGX Derivatives' bitcoin BTC$67,125.22 and ether (ETH) perpetual futures debuted with a bang on Monday, signaling institutional appetite for regulated derivatives tied to digital assets.

Volumes got off to a strong start — nearly 2,000 lots traded on day one, representing about $35 million in notional value, and open interest settling at a solid 58 lots, or about $1 million, by the close of clearing, SGX said in an email to CoinDesk.

Trading was characterized by tight bid-ask spreads, with stable funding rates at 3 basis points. Taken together, they pointed to healthy liquidity conditions right out of the bat.

The debut received support eight prominent clearing members – Bright Point International, Guotai Junan Futures, KGI Securities, Marex, Nanhua Singapore, Orient Futures, Phillip Nova and StoneX Financial – cementing Singapore's push as the regional hubs for digital asset trading.

Perpetual futures are a type of derivative contract in cryptocurrency that allows traders to speculate on the price of an asset without an expiration date. Their significance in crypto lies in enabling high leverage trading and provide essential liquidity and price discovery for the 24/7 crypto market.

These contracts are tailored for sophisticated institutional investors looking for continuous funding and a streamlined payoff mechanism in the rapidly evolving crypto derivatives space. Anchored by Singapore’s AAA credit rating and robust risk infrastructure, SGX is setting the stage to bridge traditional finance (TradFi) with crypto in a way that commands confidence and security.

The debut of perpetual futures is a sign that institutional crypto trading is maturing. For a market thirsty for clarity and reliability, SGX’s move provides a much-needed institutional-grade avenue that could draw more seasoned players into the digital asset ecosystem in Asia and beyond.