CME Group U.S. Treasury Open Interest Surges to Record High of 36.3 Million Contracts [Accessibility Statement] Skip Navigation- Additional OI records in 2-, 5-, 10-, and 30-year productsCHICAGO, Feb. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today announced that open interest (OI) in its deeply liquid U.S. Treasury futures and options set a new record of 36,328,151 contracts on February 19. The company's previous OI record hit in November 2025 with 35,120,066 contract ...

Core Insights - CME Group reported record trading activity in 2025 with average daily volume (ADV) reaching 28.1 million contracts, a 6% increase from the previous year, highlighting its central role in global risk management amid macro volatility and institutional participation [1] Trading Activity Overview - In the fourth quarter, ADV climbed to a record 27.4 million contracts, with December ADV reaching 23.5 million, marking the strongest December on record, driven by heightened demand for hedging tools due to shifting rate expectations and commodity price volatility [2] Interest Rates and Equities - Interest rate products were the backbone of CME's activity, with full-year interest rate ADV rising 4% to a record 14.2 million contracts, driven by heavy trading in U.S. Treasury futures and options, as well as SOFR-linked products [3] - U.S. Treasury futures and options posted a record annual ADV of 8.3 million contracts, while SOFR futures and options reached 5.4 million, indicating traders' positioning around Federal Reserve policy [3] Equity Index Derivatives - Equity index derivatives saw strong demand, with ADV across equity index products increasing 8% year-on-year to 7.4 million contracts, significantly influenced by micro contracts [4] - Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 and Micro E-mini S&P 500 futures both posted record volumes, reflecting sustained retail and professional participation in smaller-sized contracts [4] Cryptocurrency Derivatives - Cryptocurrency derivatives experienced explosive growth, with CME reporting a 139% increase in crypto ADV in 2025 to a record 278,000 contracts, representing approximately $12 billion in notional value [5] - Micro Ether futures led the segment, followed by Micro Bitcoin futures, as traders favored capital-efficient instruments tied to digital assets [5] Fourth Quarter Performance in Crypto - The momentum in crypto trading continued into the fourth quarter, with crypto ADV reaching a quarterly record of 379,000 contracts, and December alone seeing 339,000 contracts traded, reflecting rising institutional engagement with regulated crypto markets [6] Global Participation - International trading activity reached new highs, with ADV outside the U.S. rising 8% to a record 8.4 million contracts, driven by strong participation from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa [7] - CME's markets benefited from global diversification of trading flows and increased cross-border demand for benchmark derivatives [7]

Core Insights - CME Group set a new record for open interest in U.S. Treasury futures and options, reaching 35,120,066 contracts on November 20, 2025, and recorded a trading volume of 44,839,732 contracts on November 21, marking the second-highest daily volume ever [1][2]. Group 1: Market Performance - The strong open interest and trading volume reflect market participants' demand for liquidity and efficiency amid economic uncertainty and Federal Reserve easing [2]. - CME Group is recognized as the leading interest rate market, offering a wide range of benchmark products including U.S. Treasuries and SOFR [2]. Group 2: Client Benefits - Clients can achieve over $20 billion in daily margin savings through CME Group's interest rate products, which also allow for portfolio margining with other cleared interest rate swaps and futures [3]. - The U.S. Treasury and SOFR futures are designed to enhance risk management capabilities for clients [3]. Group 3: Company Overview - CME Group operates as a comprehensive derivatives marketplace, enabling clients to trade across various asset classes including interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, and more [4]. - The company provides futures and options trading through the CME Globex platform and is a leading central counterparty clearing provider [4].

Core Insights - CME Group reported record average daily volume (ADV) for Q1 2025, reaching 29.8 million contracts, and the second-highest March ADV at 30.8 million contracts, reflecting strong market activity across various asset classes [1][4] Q1 2025 Performance - The company's ADV grew 13% year-over-year, with notable increases in interest rate, equity index, agricultural, foreign exchange, and cryptocurrency products [2] - U.S. Treasury complex achieved a quarterly ADV record of 9.2 million contracts, while Henry Hub Natural Gas complex set a record of 1.1 million contracts [2][4] March 2025 Highlights - March ADV increased by 27% year-over-year, with a record monthly equity index ADV of 9.7 million contracts [3][4] - Interest Rate ADV reached 14.6 million contracts, marking a 31% increase compared to the previous year [3] Record Volumes Across Asset Classes - Interest Rate ADV reached a record of 15 million contracts, with U.S. Treasury futures and options ADV at 9.2 million contracts [5] - Equity Index ADV set a record at 8 million contracts, with Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures achieving 1.8 million contracts [5] - Energy ADV increased by 20% to 2.9 million contracts, with record volumes in Henry Hub Natural Gas futures and options [5] - Agricultural ADV reached 2 million contracts, with corn futures ADV increasing by 44% to 520,000 contracts [5] - Foreign Exchange ADV set a record at 1.1 million contracts, with Canadian Dollar futures at 125,000 contracts [5] - Cryptocurrency ADV reached a record of 198,000 contracts, representing $11.3 billion notional [5] International Market Activity - The company reported a record quarterly international ADV of 8.8 million contracts, with EMEA ADV at 6.5 million contracts and Asia ADV at 2 million contracts [5]