Singapore Exchange Breaks New Ground: Institutional Bitcoin & Ethereum Perpetuals Launch Imminent

Singapore's premier financial marketplace just dropped a crypto bombshell that's shaking traditional finance to its core.

The Institutional Gateway Opens

SGX is rolling out perpetual contracts for Bitcoin and Ethereum exclusively for institutional players—finally giving the big money proper tools to play in the digital asset space. No more makeshift solutions or regulatory gray areas.

Mainstream Adoption Accelerates

This isn't just another crypto product—it's a legitimization earthquake. When established exchanges start offering regulated derivatives, the 'digital gold' narrative transforms from speculative chatter into actionable investment thesis.

Traditional finance veterans are suddenly scrambling to understand crypto volatility while trying to maintain their usual composed demeanor—watching billion-dollar funds dip toes into markets they once dismissed as 'internet magic money' provides endless entertainment for those of us who've been here since the beginning.

Singapore Exchange (SGX) Derivatives will launch Bitcoin and ethereum perpetual futures on November 24, bringing institutional-grade standards to crypto's most traded derivative product within a regulated exchange-cleared framework, the company announced Monday.

The contracts provide a continuous, no-expiry structure favored in crypto markets, combined with the clearing and margining standards of listed derivatives. The launch enables institutional, accredited, and expert investors to access crypto perpetual futures through regulated infrastructure.

Perpetual futures account for more than $187 billion in daily average volumes globally, with Asia at the center of this growth, according to SGX. However, these flows remain largely priced and settled on offshore platforms outside of Asia. The exchange said bringing these flows on-exchange will enable institutions to trade and gain exposure to Bitcoin and Ethereum with greater confidence and scale.

"Digital assets have made their way into institutional investors' portfolio. 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 of SGX Group. "By bringing the perpetuals into an exchange-cleared, regulated framework, we offer institutions the trust and scalability they have been waiting for."

The crypto perpetual contracts are benchmarked to iEdge CoinDesk Crypto Indices, aligning price discovery with institutional-grade benchmarks recognized across the industry.

"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," said Andy Baehr, head of product and research at CoinDesk Indices. "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."