Request for Comment on the Extension of Standard Futures Contracts to 24/7 Trading and on Perpetual Contracts Referencing Physically Delivered or Storable Energy Commodities
Key claim: The CFTC is extending by thirty days the comment period on its RFC concerning 24/7 trading of standard futures and perpetual contracts on physically delivered or storable energy commodities, and is additionally seeking comment on CME NYMEX’s self-certified 24/7 oil contract that the Commission stayed.
Abstract
(Proposed Rule · Commodity Futures Trading Commission) On June 25, 2026, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“Commission” or “CFTC”) published in the Federal Register a request for comment (“RFC”) titled “Request for Comment on the Extension of Standard Futures Contracts to 24/7 Trading and on Perpetual Contracts Referencing Physically Delivered or Storable Energy Commodities.” The comment period for the RFC was set to close on July 27, 2026. The Commission is extending the comment period for this RFC by an additional thirty days. In addition to the questions set forth in the RFC, the Commission is further requesting comment on the self- certified 24/7 oil contract listed by Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s (“CME’s”) New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc. (“NYMEX”) on July 8, 2026 and that the Commission stayed on July 9, 2026.
Why this matters
The comment-period extension and additional questions on the stayed NYMEX 24/7 oil contract signal that the CFTC is taking a deliberate approach to how continuous trading and perpetuals would map onto physically settled energy markets. For exchanges and energy market participants, the stay of a self-certified product plus expanded inquiry indicates the Commission is unlikely to let 24/7 energy futures launch through self-certification without a broader policy framework.