CME Group announced it will introduce 24/7 trading for new, smaller-sized crude oil and gold futures contracts, pending regulatory review, as traders seek more flexible tools to manage commodity exposure amid geopolitical uncertainty.

Key Highlights

  • A new 10-Barrel WTI crude oil contract, one-tenth the size of Micro WTI futures, launches August 30.
  • 24/7 trading for CME's existing 1-Ounce Gold futures begins July 26.
  • Micro WTI Crude Oil futures averaged 272,000 contracts daily in May, up 317% year-over-year.
  • WTI Crude Oil options reached a record average daily volume of 320,000 contracts in the first quarter of 2026.

CME Group, described as the world's leading derivatives marketplace, said it will offer round-the-clock trading for new, smaller-sized crude oil and gold contracts, pending regulatory approval, as part of an effort to give traders more flexible tools to manage commodity exposure.

The new 10-Barrel WTI Crude Oil futures contract will be one-tenth the size of CME Group's existing Micro WTI futures and is scheduled to launch on August 30. Separately, 24/7 trading for the company's existing 1-Ounce Gold futures contract will begin on July 26.

According to CME Group, traders are increasingly looking to diversify portfolios across commodity markets in the face of geopolitical uncertainty, and the new right-sized, round-the-clock contracts are designed to help market participants manage exposure whenever news breaks, regardless of time zone.

WTI remains the global benchmark for crude oil price discovery and risk management. In the first quarter of 2026, WTI Crude Oil options reached a record average daily volume of 320,000 contracts. Micro WTI Crude Oil futures also saw a significant jump in activity, with average daily volume reaching 272,000 contracts in May, representing a 317% increase compared with the same month in 2025.

On the gold side, CME Group operates the world's leading benchmark gold futures contract, with $100 billion in notional value traded daily during 2025. The company's cash-settled 1-Ounce Gold futures contract, launched in January 2025, has seen average daily volume of 90,000 contracts in 2026.

The new 10-Barrel WTI contract will be cash-settled and listed on NYMEX, while the 1-Ounce Gold contract is also cash-settled and listed on COMEX. Both products remain subject to regulatory review before launch.

The announcement comes as commodity markets, particularly crude oil, continue to experience heightened volatility tied to ongoing geopolitical developments in the Middle East, with traders seeking more granular and accessible instruments to navigate rapid price swings.

For market participants, the combination of smaller contract sizes and extended trading hours is intended to lower barriers to entry while improving the ability to react to news events outside of traditional market hours.