SUBMISSION COVER SHEET

IMPORTANT: Check box if Confidential Treatment is requested

Registered Entity Identifier Code (optional): 24-033

Organization: Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. ("CME")

Filing as a: DCM SEF DCO SDR 

Please note - only ONE choice allowed.

Filing Date (mm/dd/yy): January 3, 2024 Filing Description: Modifications to the Ether 

Futures Market Maker Program

SPECIFY FILING TYPE 

Please note only ONE choice allowed per Submission.

Organization Rules and Rule Amendments

Certification § 40.6(a)

Approval § 40.5(a)

Notification § 40.6(d)

Advance Notice of SIDCO Rule Change § 40.10(a)

SIDCO Emergency Rule Change § 40.10(h)

Rule Numbers: Not Applicable

New Product Please note only ONE product per Submission.

Certification § 40.2(a) 

Certification Security Futures § 41.23(a)

Certification Swap Class § 40.2(d)

Approval § 40.3(a)

Approval Security Futures § 41.23(b)

Novel Derivative Product Notification § 40.12(a)

Swap Submission § 39.5

Official Product Name: 

Product Terms and Conditions (product related Rules and Rule Amendments)

Certification § 40.6(a) 

Certification Made Available to Trade Determination § 40.6(a)

Certification Security Futures § 41.24(a)

Delisting (No Open Interest) § 40.6(a) 

Approval § 40.5(a)

Approval Made Available to Trade Determination § 40.5(a)

Approval Security Futures § 41.24(c)

Approval Amendments to enumerated agricultural products § 40.4(a), § 40.5(a)

“Non-Material Agricultural Rule Change” § 40.4(b)(5)

Notification § 40.6(d)

Official Name(s) of Product(s) Affected: 

Rule Numbers: 
20 S Wacker Dr Chicago, IL 60606 T 312 466 7478 tim.elliott@cmegroup.com cmegroup.com

Timothy Elliott

Managing Director and Chief Regulatory Counsel

Legal Department

January 3, 2024

VIA ELECTRONIC PORTAL

Christopher J. Kirkpatrick 

Office of the Secretariat

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Three Lafayette Centre

1155 21st Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20581

RE: Modifications to the Ether Futures Market Maker Program

CME Submission No. 24-033

Dear Mr. Kirkpatrick:

Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. (“CME” or “Exchange”) hereby notifies the Commodity Futures Trading 

Commission (“CFTC” or “Commission”) of plans to modify the Ether Futures Market Maker Program (“Program”). The 

modifications to the Program will become effective on February 1, 2024.

Exhibit 1 sets forth the terms of this Program. Modifications appear below, with additions underlined and deletions 

overstruck. 

The Exchange reviewed the designated contract market core principles (“Core Principles”) as set forth in the 

Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA” or “Act”). During the review, CME staff identified the following Core Principles as 

potentially being impacted: Monitoring of Trading, Execution of Transactions, Protection of Market Participants, 

Compliance with Rules, Availability of General Information, and Recordkeeping.

The Program does not impact the Exchange’s ability to perform its trade practice and market surveillance obligations

under the CEA and the Exchange’s market regulation staff will monitor trading in the Program’s products to prevent 

manipulative trading and market abuse. Additionally, the Exchange has implemented systems to track Program 

participants’ obligations to ensure proper distribution of earned incentives. The incentives in the Program do not 

impact the Exchange’s order execution. Participants in the Program will be selected by Exchange staff using criteria 

as further stated in Exhibit 1. Chapter 4 of the CME rules includes prohibitions against fraudulent, non-competitive, 

unfair or abusive practices. All participants must execute a contractual agreement with the Exchange in which each 

participant will expressly agree to comply with and be subject to applicable regulations and CME rules. The Program 

is subject to the Exchange’s record retention policies which comply with the CEA. 

CME certifies that the Program complies with the CEA and the regulations thereunder. There were no substantive 

opposing views to this Program.

The Exchange certifies that this submission has been concurrently posted on the Exchange’s website at 

http://www.cmegroup.com/market-regulation/rule-filings.html.

If you require any additional information regarding this submission, please e-mail 

CMEGSubmissionInquiry@cmegroup.com or contact Rachel Johnson at 312-466-4393 or via e-mail at 

Rachel.Johnson@cmegroup.com. Please reference our CME Submission No. 24-033 in any related correspondence.

Sincerely,

/s/ Timothy Elliott

Managing Director and Chief Regulatory Counsel

Attachment: Exhibit 1
EXHIBIT 1

Ether Futures Market Maker Program

Program Purpose 

The purpose of this Program is to encourage participants to support the development of the product listed 

below. A more liquid contract on the central limit order book benefits all participants in the marketplace.

Product Scope

Ether Futures (“ETH”) that are traded on Globex (“Product”). 

Eligible Participants

The Exchange may designate up to seven (7) ten (10) participants in the Program. Participants may be 

CME members or non-members. Potential participants are required to submit an application/bid sheet to 

the Exchange as part of a competitive application process which is used to determine eligibility. In 

determining whether or not a prospective participant is selected to participate in the Program, Exchange 

staff may take into account a variety of factors including the strength of the quoting obligations the

prospective participant is willing to commit to provide, whether Exchange staff believes that the 

prospective participant can maintain such obligations, and historical volume trading similar contracts. The 

Exchange may, from time to time, add or subtract from the aforementioned requirements as it deems 

necessary.

Program Term 

Start date is February 8, 2021. End date is January 31, 2024 July 31, 2024.

Hours

5:00PM – 4:00PM (+1) CT. 

Obligations

In order to be eligible to receive incentives, participants must quote two-sided markets in the Product at 

predetermined average bid/ask spreads and minimum quote sizes.

Incentives 

Upon meeting all obligations, as determined by the Exchange, participants may be eligible to receive 

predetermined incentives.

Monitoring and Termination of Status

The Exchange shall monitor trading activity and participants’ performance and shall retain the right to 

revoke participant status if it concludes from review that a participant no longer meets the eligibility 

requirements or fails to meet the obligations of the Program.