Bitcoin Cash Soars 30% Following CME’s Announcement of BCH Futures Launch

BCH Outperforms Market on Derivatives Expansion

Bitcoin cash (BCH) broke through $300 Tuesday for the first time in nearly three months after CME Group announced plans to add the token and Uniswap (UNI) to its crypto derivatives suite. Market data shows BCH outperformed the broader crypto market, surging nearly 30% from $269 to $345 to break a weeks-long spell of sideways price action.

The surge pushed BCH’s weekly gains to 57% and lifted its market cap to $6.95 billion. Despite the rally, the token remains down more than 43% from its Jan. 1 price of $600, a stark contrast to bitcoin and other altcoins, which have narrowed their year-to-date losses to single digits.

In a statement, CME Group announced it will launch BCH and UNI futures on Oct. 19, pending regulatory review. The derivatives venue said the expansion responds to strong client demand for institutional-grade risk management tools across high-liquidity altcoin markets, offering both standard and micro-sized contracts.

“As crypto markets continue to mature, participants require broader, regulated tools to navigate evolving digital asset–related price risk,” said Giovanni Vicioso, global head of cryptocurrency products at CME Group. “Designed for greater versatility and capital efficiency, these new BCH and UNI contracts allow clients to manage price risk and gain exposure to key crypto networks within our 24/7, regulated marketplace.”

Industry Leaders Highlight Demand for Regulated Derivatives

Justin Young, CEO and co-founder of Volatility Shares, called the addition another important step in expanding CME Group’s offerings.

“It gives market participants more ways to access these assets within a regulated futures framework, while providing additional tools to manage risk and express market views,” Young said.

Noel Kimmel, president at Ripple Prime, noted that institutions managing cryptocurrency exposure need around-the-clock access to regulated derivatives supported by robust clearing and financing infrastructure.

“With the addition of Bitcoin Cash and Uniswap futures to the existing set of XRP, Bitcoin and other products, CME Group’s cryptocurrency complex continues to lead the way in delivering capital-efficient risk management tools,” Kimmel said.

While BCH appeared set to build on its gains, UNI experienced a sharp reversal. Following the announcement, UNI surged 11% to $9.70 before giving back most of its advances within two hours. UNI was trading around $9.18 at publication time, up 5.4% on the day.