CME Plans to Launch AI Computing Power Futures in October, Crypto Circle Started the Feast Six Months Ago

This time, did the crypto circle that moved first actually eat the meat themselves, or did they stew a pot of soup for the latecomers?

By: Fu Gui

Wall Street Finally Remembers to Price AI GPUs

On August 17, 2026, Bloomberg and CoinDesk broke the news one after another. They reported that the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, aka CFTC, has submitted the draft request for comments on compute derivatives to the White House OMB for review, and public comments will be solicited soon. Translated, this means the compute futures CME plans to launch on October 5 have not yet passed regulatory approval, and whether they can launch on schedule remains uncertain.

"CFTC seeks public comment on derivatives for computing capacity as GPU futures near launch" —— CoinDesk, August 17, 2026

We need to rewind six days. On August 11, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group, aka CME, jointly announced with a company called Silicon Data that they plan to launch two compute futures contracts on October 5, one tracking the H100 leasing index and the other tracking the B200 leasing index. Listed under NYMEX, cash-settled, no physical GPU delivery.

"CME Group and Silicon Data to Launch Compute Futures on October 5 to Unlock New Way to Hedge AI Risks" —— CME Official Press Release, August 11, 2026