CME Group CEO Terry Duffy has revealed that the world’s largest derivatives exchange is actively exploring the possibility of launching its own cryptocurrency.
CME Coin
In response to a question from Morgan Stanley’s Michael Cyprys during CME’s Q4 earnings call on Wednesday, Duffy confirmed the company is exploring “initiatives with our own coin that we could potentially put on a decentralized network.”
“Not only are we looking at tokenized cash […] we’re looking at different initiatives with our own coin that we could potentially put on a decentralized network for other of our industry participants to use,” he posited.
The remark came in response to a question about the role of tokenized collateral. In response, Duffy first noted that the derivatives behemoth is meticulously examining various forms of margin.
“So if you were to give me a token from a systemically important financial institution, I would probably be more comfortable than maybe a third or fourth-tier bank trying to issue a token for margin.”
CME is already working on a tokenized cash “initiative” that’s being rolled out with Google later this year, which will involve a depository bank enabling transactions.
The potential CME-issued token running on a decentralized, public network would be a separate project, though the exchange declined to specify how it would function.
Nonetheless, CEO Duffy’s remarks this week mark the first time the exchange has explicitly floated the launch of its own digital token. Still, a potential debut wouldn’t make CME the first legacy finance titan to issue its own token. JPMorgan recently introduced tokenized deposits on Coinbase’s Base layer-2 blockchain via its JPM Coin.
CME’s 24/7 Trading Push
The revelation comes as CME Group continues to extend its crypto footprint. In January, CME announced plans to expand its suite of crypto products by listing futures contracts tied to Cardano, Stellar, and Chainlink this month for both retail and institutional traders.
Meanwhile, the exchange is set to introduce 24/7 trading for cryptocurrency futures and options beginning in the second quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approval. The move aims to align CME’s products more closely with around-the-clock digital asset markets.
Source: https://zycrypto.com/wall-street-titan-cme-group-is-considering-issuing-its-own-token-ceo-reveals/
