Institutional Appetite for Cryptocurrency Exposure Is Growing Fast

Crypto derivatives activity on CME soared in April as institutional traders ramped up exposure to digital assets, new trading data showed on Wednesday.

The global derivatives marketplace saw average daily volumes in its crypto contracts surge to 183,000—or $8.9 billion in notional value.

Compared to the same period in 2024, this represents a 129% year-over-year increase and signals accelerating institutional participation in crypto-linked instruments.

Ether contracts emerged as the fastest-growing segment. Standard ether futures volumes climbed 239% to average 14,000 contracts daily, while micro ether futures saw a 165% rise to 63,000 contracts. Micro bitcoin futures also posted a 115% increase to reach 78,000 daily contracts.

CME’s larger futures contracts are tied to full units—5 BTC or 50 ETH—while its micro futures allow more granular exposure at just one-tenth of those amounts, making them popular among smaller institutions and active traders.

The strong April performance builds on an already record-breaking Q1 for CME’s crypto derivatives. Overall trading across all CME markets reached an average of 35.9 million contracts daily, up 36% year-over-year.

Despite the spike in trading volume, Ether’s price remained relatively flat, gaining just over 1% in April. In contrast, Bitcoin posted a 15.8% monthly increase, while the CoinDesk 20 index—used to track the broader market—rose by 12.1%.