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CFTC Announces Roundtable on December 15 to Discuss the Feasibility of 24/7 Trading in Derivatives Markets

The CFTC announced on October 28, 2026, that it will hold an industry roundtable at its Washington headquarters on December 15 to discuss issues related to the feasibility of derivatives markets moving to 24/7 trading. The dialogue builds on the agency’s request for comments on 24/7 trading this summer.

The roundtable will provide a public forum to discuss evolving structures affecting derivatives markets, including overnight trading, tokenization, infrastructure and staffing needs, and operational readiness. Industry participants will discuss how the Commission can promote responsible innovation while protecting market participants and preserving the integrity and resilience of U.S. derivatives markets. Chairman Michael S. Selig said: I have been clear that under my leadership, the CFTC will not take a one-size-fits-all approach to 24/7 trading. Market structure is best allowed to evolve through thoughtful and responsible progress, which is why we are holding a roundtable to hear directly from industry on views about 24/7 trading across different asset classes.

The meeting will be held at the CFTC’s Washington headquarters, will be open to the public, and will be livestreamed on CFTC.gov. The agenda, speakers, and registration information will be announced later; in-person attendance may be limited, and visitors will be subject to security screening. The public may submit speaker nominations to Roundtables@CFTC.gov.

Original sources:

  1. Title: CFTC to Host Roundtable on 24/7 Trading Publisher: Commodity Futures Trading Commission Publication Date: 2026-10-28 URL: https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9318-26 Source type: official announcement Verification status: full text actually read in this instance, verification date 2026-10-28 Supported content: supports all core facts in the body, including the December 15 roundtable, Washington headquarters, public livestream, agenda topics (overnight trading, tokenization, infrastructure and staffing needs, operational readiness), the Selig quote, and the basis in the request for comments

  2. Title: CFTC Staff Issues Advisory on 24/7 Trading, Clearing, and Settlement Publisher: Commodity Futures Trading Commission Publication Date: 2026-05-29 URL: https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9239-26 Source type: official announcement Verification status: full text actually read in this instance, verification date 2026-10-28 Supported content: supports the historical fact in the AI interpretation about staff guidance issued in May 2026; does not prove that this roundtable has decided on any trading arrangement or that anything has been approved

  3. Title: CFTC Seeks Public Comment on the Extension of Standard Futures Contracts to 24/7 Trading and on Perpetual Contracts Referencing Physically Delivered or Storable Energy Commodities Publisher: Commodity Futures Trading Commission Publication Date: 2026-06-22 URL: https://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/9259-26 Source type: official announcement Verification status: key content verified through search and related Federal Register records in this instance, verification date 2026-10-28 Supported content: supports the historical fact in the AI interpretation about the summer request for comments; does not prove the roundtable’s conclusions or that any contracts have gone live

ABAB AI Insight

Michael S. Selig was sworn in as the 16th chairman of the CFTC on December 22, 2025. He previously served as chief counsel of the SEC Crypto Task Force and had worked in private practice focusing on derivatives and securities regulation. This roundtable continues his public statements on market structure issues since taking office and brings direct industry input into the discussion process.

On May 29, 2026, the CFTC’s Divisions of Clearing and Risk, Market Oversight, and Market Participants issued staff guidance reminding designated contract markets, swap execution facilities, derivatives clearing organizations, and futures commission merchants of their regulatory obligations when seeking to extend trading and clearing to 24/7. The guidance noted that derivatives referencing crypto assets may be better suited to 24/7 trading because of their digital infrastructure and global reach, while markets such as agricultural products may be less suitable because of their customer base, regional characteristics, and hedging practices. The summer request for comments further focused on extending standard futures contracts to 24/7 trading and on perpetual contracts referencing physically delivered or storable energy commodities.

Unlike crypto spot and perpetual contract markets, which have long operated 24/7, traditional futures markets regulated by the CFTC have long been constrained by trading hours. Continuous operation in crypto markets depends on on-chain settlement and global participants, while overnight periods in traditional futures often face thinner liquidity and commercial hedging demand concentrated in specific time windows. This roundtable places tokenization and operational readiness alongside one another in discussion, creating a mechanism-based difference from simple expansion of trading hours.

This arrangement shifts the focus of discussion from whether to permit 24/7 trading to infrastructure, staffing, and operational resilience under different asset classes. For assets that already have digital infrastructure, it may lower the marginal cost of extending trading hours; for markets that rely on traditional hedging and physical delivery, it may strengthen constraints on overnight liquidity and staffing continuity. The key indicator will be whether the subsequent agenda clearly distinguishes the specific operational requirements of different asset classes.

ABAB News · Cognitive Law

  1. Regulation assesses the feasibility of 24/7 trading by asset class rather than uniformly extending trading hours across all markets.

  2. Infrastructure and staffing continuity have become the core constraints in the 24/7 discussion; the existence of technology does not automatically mean operational feasibility.