CME Group to Launch Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap Futures on October 19

CME Group confirmed that it will list futures contracts for link" href="/prices/bitcoin">Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Uniswap (UNI) on its exchange, with trading set to begin on October 19, subject to regulatory review by the CFTC.

Contract Details

Each token will be offered in two contract sizes:

• Standard contracts: 10,000 UNI or 250 BCH
• Micro contracts: 1,000 UNI or 25 BCH

At current market prices, a standard UNI contract represents roughly $90,000 of exposure, while a standard BCH contract represents about $69,000.

Market Reaction

Following the announcement, Uniswap rose approximately 5% and Bitcoin Cash gained nearly 10% within minutes.

Institutional Significance

The CME futures market is regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Many institutional investors, including banks, hedge funds, and asset managers, rely on CME contracts as a compliant avenue to gain exposure to digital assets, as offshore crypto exchanges may be off‑limits.

Context Within CME’s Crypto Offering

CME already operates a sizable crypto derivatives business, averaging 279,800 trades per day in the first half of 2026 with a notional value of $8.3 billion. Earlier this year, the exchange added futures for Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar, and expanded to 24/7 crypto trading in May.

Potential Impact

The introduction of BCH and UNI futures provides regulated tools for both long and short positions, potentially increasing institutional participation. However, the long‑term price effect will depend on open interest and sustained trading volume after launch.