CME Group’s crypto derivatives market surged in April, fueled by strong institutional activity and growing interest in ether-linked contracts. The exchange recorded $8.9 billion in notional trading volume, with an average daily volume (ADV) of 183,000 contracts, a 129% increase year-over-year.

Driving this growth were ether futures, which saw a 239% jump to 14,000 contracts daily. Micro ether futures followed with a 165% gain, reaching 63,000 contracts, while micro bitcoin futures climbed 115% to 78,000 contracts.

CME’s product suite includes full-size contracts—5 BTC or 50 ETH—targeting institutions, and micro contracts—0.1 BTC/ETH—for more precise trade execution and risk management.

The strong April performance builds on Q1’s record-setting pace, as CME’s total ADV across all markets hit 35.9 million contracts, up 36% from April 2024.

Despite the spike in ether trading, ETH price movement lagged behind broader market trends, gaining just 1.1% in the past month. Bitcoin rose 15.8%, and the CoinDesk 20 Index climbed 12.1%, reflecting stronger gains in the broader digital asset landscape.