CME Plans BCH and UNI Futures on October 19 | WEEX TradFi Daily Brief (September 23, 2026)

Opening Summary

1. Bitcoin holds about $86,200 and Ethereum about $2,750 as risk appetite rises with tech.
2. CME plans standard and micro BCH and UNI futures on October 19; both tokens lead.
3. The Nasdaq closes up about 0.45% at 27,244 on September 22, a second straight closing high, with memory and AI hardware strong.
4. CFTC extends review of AI compute futures, making CME’s early-October launch unlikely on schedule.

1、Crypto Market Highlights

1）Bitcoin Holds About $86,000; Ethereum Recovers to About $2,750
Bitcoin peaked near $87,400 on September 21 and is consolidating near $86,000; Ethereum last traded around $2,750. Fresh tech highs and a pullback in oil improved risk appetite, lifting majors from August lows into the highest zone since early this year.
Watchlist: BTC, ETH
Spot: BTC / ETH
Futures: BTC / ETH

2）UNI and BCH Lead as CME Plans Futures on October 19

CME said it plans to launch BCH and UNI futures on October 19, subject to regulatory approval, in standard and micro sizes: BCH 250 / 25 coins and UNI 10,000 / 1,000 coins. The lineup would expand beyond BTC, ETH, XRP and SOL into a proof-of-work asset and a top DEX governance token. Expected institutional hedging demand lifted turnover and led altcoins. Any approval delay could unwind the premium.
Watchlist: UNI, BCH
Spot: UNI / BCH
Futures: UNI / BCH

3）Nasdaq High Lifts Stock Memes Again; SPY, MARSCOIN and MEME Active
The Nasdaq rose as much as about 0.8% intraday on September 22 and closed up about 0.45% at a new closing high. Stock-mapped memes heated up in tandem. SPX, MARSCOIN and MEME led turnover as capital mapped equity risk appetite onto on-chain chips. The tape is driven more by sentiment and volume; if the Nasdaq chops at highs, swings in the group will widen.
Watchlist: SPX, MARSCOIN, MEME
Spot: MARSCOIN / MEME
Futures: SPX / MARSCOIN

2、Market Highlights

1）Nasdaq Posts Back-to-Back Closing Highs; Memory Leads
The Nasdaq closed at 27,244.28 on September 22, its second straight closing high since June. Rosenblatt initiated SanDisk at Buy with a $2,400 target. Combined with a NAND shortage and passive buying after SanDisk’s addition to a major broad index, memory is the clear near-term tape. Micron strengthened in tandem as markets pre-position for the earnings window around next week. Structural AI-server demand for high-bandwidth memory remains, but valuations have already rerated sharply and volatility will rise once headlines are fully priced.
Watchlist: SNDK, MU, STX
Spot: SNDK / MU / STX
Futures: SNDK / MU / STX

2）AI Compute Futures Delayed as Review Is Extended; Early-October CME Launch at Risk
A key step toward making GPU rental prices a tradable asset — NVIDIA H100 and B200 rental-index futures — has hit a delay. CME had hoped to launch as early as the start of October (previously around October 5), but a regulatory letter extended the review to clarify index construction, settlement and manipulation risk and to gather broader industry comment. Regulators acknowledged that financializing compute could aid AI development, while noting that the spot rental market is fragmented and opaque. The last-mile delay weakens near-term CME product-calendar expectations and pauses use of the compute-rental curve as a pricing anchor.
Watchlist: CME, NVDA
Spot: NVDA
Futures: CME / NVDA

3）Energy Stocks Follow Oil Lower; Brent About $98, WTI About $94.6
Crude pulled back from near $100 as improved Gulf supply expectations cut the energy premium. Brent fell about 2% to about $98.3 and WTI was about $94.6. Energy lagged the Nasdaq, but cooler oil also eased inflation pressure on the hike path and helped the tech rebound. If supply expectations reverse, oil can still retest $100.
Watchlist: XLE, CRUDEOIL
Spot: CRUDEOIL
Futures: XLE / CL / BZ

3、Today’s Preview

1）Senior-Level Washington Meeting
Macro capital has already priced an optimistic read on a trade truce and managed stalemate. Investors will watch any extension of tariff exemptions, AI safety-red-line language and changes in geopolitical risk premia. If a joint statement falls short of what markets have implied on core issues, cross-border e-commerce and high-tariff overseas-exposure names could see profit-taking.
Watchlist: PDD, XIAOMI, BYD
Spot: PDD
Futures: PDD / XIAOMI / BYD

2）Meta Connect and AI Hardware Launch
Meta holds its annual Meta Connect conference on September 23–24. The expected centerpiece is a new smart-glasses device code-named “Luna,” with native support for its globally popular AI agent Muse. Investors will focus on on-device multimodal AI, shipment guidance and ecosystem-revenue share. If hardware innovation or production pace lags what the stock has priced, META and related optics and audio suppliers could give back gains.
Watchlist: META
Spot: META
Futures: META

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