SUBMISSION COVER SHEET

IMPORTANT: Check box if Confidential Treatment is requested

Registered Entity Identifier Code (optional): 23-345

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

Filing as a: DCM SEF DCO SDR 

Please note - only ONE choice allowed.

Filing Date (mm/dd/yy): August 9, 2023 Filing Description: Termination of the Nasdaq100 Volatility Index ("VOLQ") 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: 
300 Vesey Street New York, NY 10282 T 212 299 2200 F 212 301 4645 christopher.bowen@cmegroup.com cmegroup.com

Christopher Bowen 

Managing Director and Chief Regulatory Counsel

Legal Department

August 9, 2023

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: Termination of the Nasdaq-100 Volatility Index ("VOLQ") Futures Market Maker 

Program

CME Submission No. 23-345

Dear Mr. Kirkpatrick:

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

Commission (“CFTC” or “Commission”) of plans to terminate the VOLQ Futures Market Maker Program (“Program”). 

The Program will terminate on August 31, 2023.

Exhibit 1 sets forth the terms of this Program. Modifications appear below, with 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. 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. 23-345 in any related correspondence.

Sincerely,

/s/ Christopher Bowen

Managing Director and Chief Regulatory Counsel

Attachment: Exhibit 1
EXHIBIT 1

VOLQ Futures Market Maker Program

Program Purpose 

The purpose of this Program is to support development of the product listed below. The resulting increase 

in liquidity on the central limit order book benefits all participant segments in the market.

Product Scope

Nasdaq-100 Volatility Index Futures (“VLQ”) that are traded on the CME Globex Platform (the “Product”). 

Eligible Participants

CME may designate up to seven (7) 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 selection 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 products. The Exchange may, from time to time, add or 

subtract from the aforementioned requirements as it deems necessary.

Program Term 

Start date is October 5, 2020. End date is January 31, 2024.

Hours

8:30AM – 3:15PM CT (“RTH”) and 5:00PM – 8:29:59PM CT (“ETH”).

Obligations

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

at predetermined average bid/ask spreads and minimum quote sizes.

Incentives 

Upon meeting the obligations, as determined by the Exchange, participants will 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.