Share this article

E-Trade Financial Launches CME Bitcoin Futures Trading

E-Trade Financial Corporation opened trading in bitcoin futures from CME Group Tuesday evening.

Updated Sep 13, 2021, 7:20 a.m. Published Jan 3, 2018, 9:00 a.m.
Credit: Shutterstock
Credit: Shutterstock

E-Trade Financial Corporation has opened trading in bitcoin futures from CME Group.

According to its website, the online stock brokerage firm – which launched the trading of CBOE bitcoin futures last month – opened up trading of bitcoin futures from CME Group for customers as of Tuesday evening. The intraday initial margin requirement for the CME bitcoin futures ("BTC") has been set at 80 percent, that same as is required for CBOE futures ("XBT").

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

The New York-based online brokerage first allowed customers to trade bitcoin futures from CBOE Global Markets on Dec. 20.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) approved both CBOE and CME to list bitcoin futures on Dec. 1. The regulator said at the time that the companies will pursue a self-certified initial listing, after working with the agency to set a standard for the offerings.

TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. and Ally Financial Inc.'s Ally Invest have also opened up CBOE bitcoin contracts to investors. Interactive Brokers Group also opened trading in products from both exchanges in December, a CNBC report states.

Disclosure: CME Group is an investor in Digital Currency Group, CoinDesk's parent company.

Trading chart image via Shutterstock

More For You

State of the Blockchain 2025

State of the Blockchain 16:9

L1 tokens broadly underperformed in 2025 despite a backdrop of regulatory and institutional wins. Explore the key trends defining ten major blockchains below.

What to know:

2025 was defined by a stark divergence: structural progress collided with stagnant price action. Institutional milestones were reached and TVL increased across most major ecosystems, yet the majority of large-cap Layer-1 tokens finished the year with negative or flat returns.

This report analyzes the structural decoupling between network usage and token performance. We examine 10 major blockchain ecosystems, exploring protocol versus application revenues, key ecosystem narratives, mechanics driving institutional adoption, and the trends to watch as we head into 2026.

More For You

Bitcoin will be 'top performer' in 2026 after getting crushed this year, says VanEck

Gold Bars

VanEck's David Schassler expects gold and bitcoin to rebound sharply as investor demand for hard assets is expected to rise.

What to know:

  • Bitcoin has underperformed compared to gold and the Nasdaq 100 this year, but a VanEck manager predicts a strong comeback in 2026.
  • David Schassler, the firm's head of multi-asset solutions, expects gold's surge to continue to $5,000 next year as fiscal "debasement" accelerates.
  • Bitcoin will likely follow gold’s breakout, driven by returning liquidity and long-term demand for scarce assets.