CME to launch micro ether futures next month

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) is set to launch micro ether futures on December 6, according to a statement.

At present, the CME offers trading on ether futures, with a contract size of 50 ETH ($222,000). With micro ether futures, the contract size will be much smaller, allowing for more precise trades.

"Since the launch of Ether futures in February, we have seen steady growth in liquidity in these contracts, especially among institutional traders," said Tim McCourt, global head of equity index and alternative investment products at the CME Group, in the statement.

"At the same time, the price of ether has more than doubled since these contracts were introduced, creating demand for a micro-sized contract to make this market even more accessible to a broader range of participants. Micro Ether futures will offer even more choice and precision in how they trade Ether futures in a transparent, regulated and efficient manner at CME Group," he said.

CME currently offers trading for bitcoin and ether futures, along with micro bitcoin futures and options on bitcoin futures. Trades are cash-settled and use CF Benchmarks reference rates.

So far, the exchange has seen all-time trading volumes of more than 675,500 ether futures, which is equivalent to 33.6 million ETH ($149 billion).