CME Ether Futures Open Interest Surpasses $10 Billion for First Time
The CME's ether (ETH) futures market is experiencing significant growth as interest shifts from bitcoin (BTC).
- Total notional open interest in ETH futures surpassed $10 billion for the first time.
- Number of large open interest holders reached a record 101.
- Open micro ether contracts exceeded 500,000.
- Ether options open interest topped $1 billion.
- Year-to-date high for ether options OI reached over 4,800 contracts.
Giovanni Vicioso from CME Group noted increased institutional participation as a key indicator of market strength. Contributing factors include:
- Increased network activity.
- Corporate treasury accumulation of ether.
- Positive regulatory developments.
In contrast, open interest in standard bitcoin futures remains low at 137,300 BTC ($15.3 billion), down from December's high of 211,000 BTC.
Ether Performance
Ether rose 23% this month, reaching lifetime highs above $4,900. U.S.-listed spot ETFs attracted $3.69 billion this month, indicating strong demand, while bitcoin ETFs experienced a net outflow of $803 million.