SINGAPORE, Nov. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SGX Derivatives is launching Bitcoin and Ethereum perpetual futures, combining the continuous, no-expiry structure favoured by crypto-native markets with exchange clearing, regulated margining and institutional-grade governance. The contracts go live on 24 November 2025, enabling accredited, expert and institutional investors[1] to access perpetual futures in an onshore, exchange-cleared framework.
Perpetual futures account for more than US$187 billion in daily average volumes globally, with Asia a centre of growth, yet much of that flow is priced and settled offshore. By bringing perpetuals on-exchange, SGX aims to let institutions trade and gain exposure to Bitcoin and Ethereum with greater confidence and scale.
“Digital assets have made their way into institutional investors’ portfolios. We have taken the next logical and deliberate step — applying the same institutional discipline that underpins global markets to crypto’s most traded pay-off,” said Michael Syn, President, SGX Group. The SGX perpetual contracts are benchmarked to iEdge CoinDesk Crypto Indices, aligning price discovery with recognised institutional benchmarks.
Andy Baehr, Head of Product and Research, CoinDesk Indices, commented: “More than two-thirds of all crypto trading is in derivatives, and perpetual futures offer unique features and benefits that have made them a favourite. We are excited to see SGX Derivatives bring perpetual futures onshore with traditional margining and clearing and are delighted to support the benchmark rate for this innovative contract.”
Industry participants welcomed the launch as a step toward broader institutional access and regulated liquidity in Asia. Leonard Hoh, General Manager, Bitstamp by Robinhood – Asia Pacific, said the move reflects evolving infrastructure and participation and praised a Singapore-anchored benchmark. Patrick Yeo, Head of Digital Assets, Global Financial Markets, DBS Bank, noted perpetuals’ precision and capital efficiency and welcomed clearing and margining under traditional standards. DBS is a member of the cryptocurrency index committee supporting SGX’s launch.
Other supporters included Joseph Chang, Co-Founder and CEO, Liquibit Capital; CJ Fong, APAC General Manager, GSR; Gracie Lin, CEO, OKX Singapore; Melvin Deng, CEO, QCP; and Ramesh Arumugam, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Virtu Financial, each highlighting regulated liquidity, robust risk management, improved price discovery and the potential to scale institutional participation in digital assets.
The official press release is available in the Annex (https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2819668/20251117_SGX_Derivatives_breaks_new_ground_with_institutional_grade_crypto_perpetual_futures__FINAL.pdf). For more information on SGX Crypto Perpetual Futures, visit http://www.sgx.com/crypto.
[1] Refers to accredited, expert and institutional investors.
[2] Source: CoinDesk Research, DAV number for Jan 2025 to Sep 2025.
[3] The iEdge CoinDesk Cryptocurrency Indices are a suite of indices covering real-time benchmarks and reference rates for Bitcoin and Ethereum (see https://www.sgx.com/campaign/iedge-coindesk-crypto-indices for more information).
