Is the Era of 24/7 Trading Here? CME and Retail Brokers Race to Offer Around-the-Clock Access to Gold, Oil, and U.S. Stock CFDs

The cryptocurrency market's 24/7 trading model is gradually making its way into traditional financial markets.

In recent months, the global derivatives industry has witnessed a growing push toward round-the-clock trading. From the world's largest derivatives exchange, CME Group, to several retail forex and CFD brokers, more institutions are expanding into weekend trading to meet investors' demand for continuous market access during major global events.

In June, CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, announced plans to launch new 24/7 trading for its smaller-sized Gold and WTI Crude Oil futures contracts, pending regulatory review. The move is designed to allow traders to manage risk beyond conventional market hours, marking another step toward continuous trading in traditional asset classes.

Following CME's announcement, a growing number of retail brokers have begun rolling out their own around-the-clock trading services.

On July 4, Vantage Markets became one of the first brokers to introduce a weekend gold CFD product with the launch of XAUUSD247. Available via MT5, TradingView, and the Vantage App, the product enables eligible clients to trade spot gold CFDs 24/7, including during weekends when traditional gold markets are closed.

Just days later, on July 15, Pepperstone expanded its Perpetual CFD offering, extending 24/7 market access to Gold, Silver, the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, WTI Crude Oil, and Brent Crude Oil. The broker had previously launched perpetual CFDs for U.S. equities, and the latest expansion broadens continuous trading into metals, indices, and energy markets.

"The concept of markets opening and closing at fixed times is becoming increasingly outdated. Capital, information, and risk now flow continuously, and we believe 24-hour markets will become a defining feature of modern finance," said Pepperstone Group CEO Tamas Szabo.

Other brokers are quickly following suit. ACY Securities recently informed clients via email that its MT5 platform now supports 24/7 trading, while STARTRADER announced that, beginning July 27, it will offer 24/7 trading on 43 popular U.S. stock CFDs, giving clients the flexibility to trade outside regular U.S. market hours.

The trend extends beyond the CFD industry. In June, Charles Schwab, one of the largest retail brokerage firms in the United States, launched its first 24/7 product on the thinkorswim platform, allowing clients to trade cryptocurrency futures—including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP—on a near round-the-clock basis.

As exchanges and brokers continue investing in continuous market access, traditional assets such as gold, crude oil, stock indices, and equities are gradually breaking free from fixed trading sessions. While 24/7 trading offers greater flexibility and faster risk management, market participants should also be aware that trading during non-traditional hours may involve lower liquidity, wider spreads, and increased price volatility.