CME · Crypto · Futures
CME Bitcoin futures (BTC): 5 bitcoin, cash-settled against the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate – regulated bitcoin exposure on CME Globex.
| Symbol | Contract | Per $1,000 | Tick value | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTC | Bitcoin | $5,000.00 | $25.00 | This contract |
| MBT | Micro Bitcoin | $100.00 | $0.50 | 0.1 bitcoin (1/50 of BTC) |
Source: CME Group contract specifications · reviewed Sep 30, 2026
| Contract | Roll date | First notice | Last trading day | Days left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTCV26 Oct 2026 Active | Fri, Oct 23, 2026 | n/a | Fri, Oct 30, 2026 | 31 |
| BTCX26 Nov 2026 | Thu, Nov 19, 2026 | n/a | Fri, Nov 27, 2026 | 59 |
| BTCZ26 Dec 2026 | Thu, Dec 17, 2026 | n/a | Thu, Dec 24, 2026 holiday-adjusted | 86 |
| BTCF27 Jan 2027 | Fri, Jan 22, 2027 | n/a | Fri, Jan 29, 2027 | 122 |
| BTCG27 Feb 2027 | Fri, Feb 19, 2027 | n/a | Fri, Feb 26, 2027 | 150 |
| BTCH27 Mar 2027 | Thu, Mar 18, 2027 | n/a | Thu, Mar 25, 2027 holiday-adjusted | 177 |
Roll. The date shown is five business days before the last trading day; volume usually moves to the next month around then.
First notice day. None – the contract is cash-settled, so there is no delivery and no first notice day.
Last trading day. Last Friday of the contract month; the preceding business day if that Friday is a holiday.
US exchange holidays ahead: Nov 26 · Dec 25 · Jan 1 · Jan 18 · Feb 15
Calculated from exchange rules and the US exchange holiday calendar. Confirm with the CME Group expiration calendar.
| Session | Eastern (ET) | Central (CT) | Your time |
|---|---|---|---|
| CME Globex (electronic) | Sun–Fri 6:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Sun–Fri 5:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | – |
| Daily maintenance break | Mon–Thu 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Mon–Thu 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. | – |
Holiday hours differ – check the exchange holiday calendar before trading around US holidays. ET is New York time, CT is Chicago time (always one hour behind ET).
| Contract | Long position | Short position |
|---|---|---|
| BTCV26 Oct 2026 Active | – | $92,169 |
| BTCX26 Nov 2026 | – | $92,582 |
| BTCZ26 Dec 2026 | – | $92,983 |
| BTCF27 Jan 2027 | – | $93,440 |
Exchange margins are the minimum your clearing firm must collect for positions held overnight. Brokers may require more – and usually offer much lower day-trading margins for positions closed before the session ends. A neutral broker day-margin comparison is coming soon.
+3,647 net contracts
+228 vs. prior week · +16.3% of OI
Movement (6 wk): +3
Banks and dealers on the other side of client flow. Tend to act contrarian – selling strength, buying weakness.
+3,171 net contracts
+411 vs. prior week · +14.2% of OI
Movement (6 wk): +5
Asset managers and funds, including ETF-related hedging and institutional allocations.
−7,953 net contracts
−1,599 vs. prior week · −35.6% of OI
Movement (6 wk): −5
Hedge funds and CTAs – including the cash-and-carry basis trade against spot ETFs, which shows up as net shorts.
| Group | Long | Short | Net | Δ 1 wk | Δ 4 wk | Index 26 wk | Index 3 yr | Move 6 wk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dealers / Intermediaries | 7,135 | 3,488 | +3,647 | +228 | +68 | 43 | 54 | +3 |
| Asset Managers | 4,962 | 1,791 | +3,171 | +411 | +226 | 28 | 7 | +5 |
| Leveraged Funds | 4,745 | 12,698 | −7,953 | −1,599 | +136 | 59 | 85 | −5 |
| Other Reportables | 881 | 99 | +782 | +796 | −942 | 56 | 22 | −9 |
| Nonreportables | 1,284 | 931 | +353 | +164 | +512 | 59 | 56 | +34 |
| Group | Long | Short | Net | Δ 1 wk | Δ 4 wk | Index 26 wk | Index 3 yr | Move 6 wk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercials | 66 | 3,175 | −3,109 | −452 | −1,319 | 18 | 8 | +8 |
| Non-Commercials | 17,658 | 14,902 | +2,756 | +288 | +807 | 64 | 82 | −17 |
| Nonreportables (small) | 1,284 | 931 | +353 | +164 | +512 | 59 | 56 | +34 |
| Report date | Dealers / Intermediaries | Asset Managers | Leveraged Funds | Other Reportables | Nonreportables | Open interest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 22, 2026 | +3,647 | +3,171 | −7,953 | +782 | +353 | 22,315 |
| Sep 15, 2026 | +3,419 | +2,760 | −6,354 | −14 | +189 | 20,773 |
| Sep 8, 2026 | +2,943 | +3,743 | −7,892 | +669 | +537 | 21,083 |
| Sep 1, 2026 | +2,784 | +3,698 | −7,620 | +764 | +374 | 19,697 |
| Aug 25, 2026 | +3,579 | +2,945 | −8,089 | +1,724 | −159 | 22,216 |
| Aug 18, 2026 | +2,971 | +2,732 | −7,439 | +2,024 | −288 | 21,760 |
| Aug 11, 2026 | +3,079 | +2,234 | −7,052 | +2,049 | −310 | 21,185 |
| Aug 4, 2026 | +2,969 | +2,542 | −7,240 | +2,149 | −420 | 20,143 |
| Jul 28, 2026 | +4,080 | +2,299 | −6,873 | +836 | −342 | 20,019 |
| Jul 21, 2026 | +4,623 | +2,727 | −7,949 | +667 | −68 | 20,527 |
| Jul 14, 2026 | +4,616 | +2,815 | −7,491 | +246 | −186 | 19,385 |
| Jul 7, 2026 | +4,779 | +2,385 | −6,717 | −164 | −283 | 18,832 |
Source: CFTC Public Reporting Environment · contract market code 133741 (BITCOIN - CHICAGO MERCANTILE EXCHANGE)
Before commissions and exchange fees. Prices round to the nearest tick of 5.
One tick is $5 per bitcoin, worth $25.00 per contract. A $1,000 move in bitcoin is worth $5,000 on BTC and $100 on Micro Bitcoin (MBT).
The COT Index places a group's current net position within its own range over a lookback window: 100 = the most net long in that window, 0 = the most net short. It measures positioning extremes, not timing.