The world’s largest derivatives marketplace will launch contracts tracking Bitcoin’s price swings, regardless of their direction.
CME Group announced on Tuesday the launch of Bitcoin volatility futures, scheduled for June 1st, 2026, subject to regulatory approval. The contracts will allow traders to speculate on the intensity of Bitcoin’s price swings, without betting on the direction of the price itself – neither up nor down.
The new derivative instruments will track CME’s Bitcoin Volatility Index (BVX), a real-time benchmark of the volatility of Bitcoin options traded on the platform. The BVX, active since 2024, is published every second between 7:00 and 16:00 CT on trading days. In practical terms, the index measures whether the market, at any given moment, expects wide price movements in Bitcoin or a period of relative stability.
“With our new Bitcoin volatility futures, traders will be able to invest in or hedge against future Bitcoin volatility, accessing a new and fundamental level of risk management,” said Giovanni Vicioso, CME’s global head of crypto products, in an official statement. The product is positioned as a hedging tool for those holding long-term positions in Bitcoin who seek protection from fluctuations without having to liquidate their position.
Financial products tied to Bitcoin volatility have gained traction throughout 2025 and 2026, as institutions and retail traders seek increasingly sophisticated instruments. In March, CoinShares had filed a request for the first Bitcoin volatility ETFs destined for Wall Street, also based on CME’s BVX index. The launch of CME’s futures thus fits into a derivatives product ecosystem that is rapidly taking shape around this asset class.
