SUBMISSION COVER SHEET

IMPORTANT: Check box if Confidential Treatment is requested

Registered Entity Identifier Code (optional): 24-032

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 

Bitcoin 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 Bitcoin Futures Market Maker Program

CME Submission No. 24-032

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 Bitcoin Futures Market Maker Program (“Program”). 

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

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

overstruck. 

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

Exchange Act (“CEA”). 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. Exchange staff will monitor trading in the Program’s product in order to prevent manipulative trading 

and market abuse. Additionally, the Exchange has implemented systems to track Program participants’ volume to 

ensure proper distribution of earned incentives. The Program does not impact the Exchange’s order execution. 

Participants in the Program will be selected by CME staff using criteria as set forth in Exhibit 1. Chapter 4 of the 

Exchange rules includes prohibitions against fraudulent, non-competitive, unfair or abusive practices. All participants 

must execute a contractual agreement with CME in which each participant will expressly agree to comply with, and 

be subject to, applicable regulations and Exchange rules. Additionally, 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. 24-032 in any related correspondence.

Sincerely,

/s/ Timothy Elliott

Managing Director and Chief Regulatory Counsel 

Enclosure: Exhibit 1
EXHIBIT 1

Bitcoin Futures Market Maker Program

Program Purpose

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

below. A more liquid contract benefits all participants in the marketplace.

Product Scope

Bitcoin Futures (“BTC”) that are traded on Globex® (the “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 the Product and 

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 March 5, 2018. End date is January 31, 2024 July 31, 2024.

Hours

Designated time periods during RTH and ETH.

Obligations

Participants must quote continuous two-sided markets in the Product at maximum bid/ask spreads and 

minimum quote sizes.

Incentives

Upon satisfying 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 has failed to meet the obligations of 

the Program.