CME Group Expands Commodity Trading Options with Smaller Oil Contracts and 24/7 Gold

CME Group, the operator of the world's largest futures exchange, is rolling out two significant changes to its commodity trading lineup. The new moves aim to make it easier for traders to gain exposure to commodities without committing to massive contract sizes or rigid trading windows.

The first change is the introduction of a 10-barrel WTI crude oil futures contract, which will debut on August 30. This contract is one-hundredth the size of the standard 1,000-barrel contract and will be cash-settled, meaning no physical delivery of oil will occur.

The second change is that CME's 1-ounce gold futures will shift to round-the-clock trading starting July 26. This move follows a similar transition made earlier in 2026 for the exchange's crypto futures and options, which are also traded 24/7.