SGX to offer crypto perpetual futures to US institutions as regulated exchanges join race

US investors have historically accessed crypto perps largely through offshore venues

Published Mon, Sep 14, 2026 · 11:03 AM

SINGAPORE Exchange (SGX) is preparing to offer its cryptocurrency perpetual futures to US institutions, making it the first major traditional exchange to bring one of crypto’s favourite trades into the mainstream.

The exchange filed with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in August to offer the contracts to US investors. As a registered overseas exchange, it can offer the products to US institutions if it receives no objection within 10 days.

The move gives SGX access to a deeper pool of hedge funds, asset managers and proprietary trading firms after the exchange launched Bitcoin and Ether perpetual futures in November 2025.

Perpetual futures, known as perps, have become a fixture of crypto markets, letting traders make leveraged bets without the expiry dates attached to conventional futures. Traditional exchanges are now pursuing their own versions as regulators become more receptive, opening a new front in the competition for a derivatives market that generates hundreds of billions of dollars in trading each month.

However, there is a catch: bringing perps into traditional finance means changing some of what made them distinctly crypto products. SGX’s contracts trade 22.5 hours a day, five days a week, with members required to post 35 per cent margin and use fiat collateral. The exchange also does not use the automatic deleveraging mechanisms found on some crypto platforms.