Bitcoin Cash Jumps 30% After CME Announces Futures Launch

CME Group announced that it will launch futures contracts for Bitcoin Cash (BCH) and Uniswap (UNI) on Oct. 19, pending regulatory review. The news triggered a sharp price increase for BCH, which rose from $269 to $345, a gain of nearly 30%.

Price Impact on Bitcoin Cash

The surge broke BCH’s three‑month price ceiling of $300 and lifted its market capitalization to $6.95 billion. Weekly gains climbed to 57%, although the token remains down more than 43% from its January 1 price of $600.

Uniswap’s Mixed Reaction

Uniswap (UNI) initially jumped 11% to $9.70 after the announcement but quickly retreated, trading around $9.18 at the time of reporting, up about 5.4% for the day.

Market Context

Both BCH and UNI outperformed the broader cryptocurrency market, which has seen most assets narrow year‑to‑date losses to single‑digit percentages.

Industry Commentary

Giovanni Vicioso, global head of cryptocurrency products at CME, said the new contracts aim to provide “greater versatility and capital efficiency” for institutional participants. Industry leaders such as Justin Young of Volatility Shares and Noel Kimmel of Ripple Prime highlighted the importance of regulated, 24/7 derivatives for risk management.