CME Drops 24/7 WTI Futures Plan Amid Liquidity Concerns

The CME Group has withdrawn its plan for a 24/7 WTI crude oil futures contract, citing concerns about weekend liquidity and benchmark pricing. The decision was made after market participants raised concerns about the potential risks of continuous trading without proper due diligence.

CME Chairman and CEO Terry Duffy stated that the exchange found key constituents were concerned that launching 24/7 energy trading could create unintended consequences and add risk to the market. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) had also stayed the proposed contract in July, citing concerns about price reliability and resistance to manipulation.

The decision highlights the challenges of implementing continuous trading in traditional futures markets. Unlike crypto-native TradFi perpetuals, which can remain available around the clock without requiring physical-market transactions, traditional futures markets are built around benchmark integrity and commercial risk transfer.