Bitget App
Trade smarter
Buy cryptoMarketsTradeFuturesEarnSquareMore
Cooling System Breakdown Stops CME Trading, Exposes Weaknesses in Digital Markets

Cooling System Breakdown Stops CME Trading, Exposes Weaknesses in Digital Markets

Bitget-RWA2025/11/28 15:14
By:Bitget-RWA

- CME Group halted trading after a cooling system failure at CyrusOne data centers, freezing $2 trillion in crypto futures and disrupting global markets. - The 11-hour outage affected WTI crude, S&P 500 futures, and EBS FX services, forcing traders to seek liquidity on offshore platforms amid post-holiday thin markets. - Crypto markets faced severe volatility as CME's regulated futures became unavailable, exposing infrastructure vulnerabilities and prompting calls for improved reliability in electronic tra

Major Trading Disruption Hits CME Group After Data Center Cooling Failure

A malfunction in the cooling system at CyrusOne data centers led to a complete shutdown of trading operations at CME Group, the world's top derivatives exchange. This unexpected halt froze more than $2 trillion in cryptocurrency-related futures, causing significant turmoil across financial markets.

The outage began at 9:44 PM ET on November 28, 2025, and impacted all futures and options contracts on the Globex platform, including those tied to Bitcoin and Ethereum. With the incident occurring during a period of low post-holiday trading activity, market participants struggled to find alternative sources of liquidity.

CME Group, which oversees trading in interest rates, stock indexes, commodities, and digital assets, attributed the disruption to the cooling system failure. The company stated that technical teams were actively addressing the problem. However, trading did not resume for nearly 11 hours, with EBS foreign exchange services only coming back online at noon London time. The interruption affected key benchmarks such as WTI crude oil, S&P 500 futures, and major currency pairs, making it especially difficult for traders managing month-end positions.

This event highlighted weaknesses in the global trading infrastructure. Many traders described the experience as a "nightmare," citing the sudden loss of liquidity and inability to hedge their portfolios. The crypto sector was hit particularly hard, as CME’s regulated futures are a crucial reference point for institutional pricing. With Bitcoin and Ethereum futures no longer updating, traders were forced to migrate to offshore exchanges like Binance and OKX, where volatility surged and price spreads widened.

Analysts observed that the outage disrupted arbitrage opportunities and compelled many to manually shut down automated trading systems that depend on CME data.

CME Group Data Center Outage

Despite the operational setback, CME Group’s financial health remains robust. The company has maintained strong profitability, with an operating margin of nearly 65% and a net margin close to 59% over the past three years. Nevertheless, its Altman Z-Score of 0.57 has raised questions about potential financial vulnerabilities, even as its $101.28 billion market value underscores its leading position in the derivatives industry.

The incident also underscored the tight interconnections within global markets. Tony Sycamore of IG noted that the timing—during a shortened session after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday—increased risks for those needing to rebalance their portfolios. The EBS platform’s downtime further complicated foreign exchange price discovery, although some displaced trading activity was absorbed by alternative platforms.

Looking ahead, CME’s upcoming launch of crypto futures contracts for assets like XRP and Solana, scheduled for December 15, may come under increased scrutiny. This outage serves as a stark warning about the vulnerabilities of digital trading infrastructure, prompting calls for greater system reliability as electronic trading becomes ever more central. As CME works to restore trust, the wider industry is expected to reevaluate its readiness for similar technical failures.

0

Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.

PoolX: Earn new token airdrops
Lock your assets and earn 10%+ APR
Lock now!

You may also like

Avail's Intent-Driven Nexus Addresses the Issue of Fragmented Liquidity Across Chains

- Avail launches Nexus Mainnet, a cross-chain solution unifying liquidity across Ethereum , Solana , and EVM networks. - The intent-solver model enables seamless asset transfers without technical complexities, streamlining user experiences. - Developers gain modular tools for multichain integration, reducing costs as cross-chain liquidity demand grows. - Nexus abstracts execution layers, offering unified balances and execution while addressing fragmentation challenges. - With $50B+ in cross-chain activity

Bitget-RWA2025/11/28 16:46
Avail's Intent-Driven Nexus Addresses the Issue of Fragmented Liquidity Across Chains

From Guesswork to Practical Answers: Remittix's Wallet Highlights Crypto's Move Toward Real-World Use

- Remittix launched an App Store wallet, enhancing crypto accessibility with a user-friendly interface and cross-platform development plans. - The wallet's crypto-to-fiat module and CertiK/KYC verification aim to bridge digital assets with traditional finance, boosting investor confidence. - A $250,000 giveaway and 15% referral rewards drive community engagement, positioning Remittix as a utility-focused competitor in a consolidating market. - Analysts highlight its alignment with crypto's shift toward rea

Bitget-RWA2025/11/28 16:46
From Guesswork to Practical Answers: Remittix's Wallet Highlights Crypto's Move Toward Real-World Use

Blockchain Faces a Quantum Countdown: Will Networks Adapt in Time?

- Major layer-1 blockchains prioritize quantum-resistant upgrades as NIST finalizes post-quantum (PQ) standards, addressing long-term risks from quantum computing advancements. - Networks like Algorand deploy lattice-based signatures (e.g., FALCON), while Cardano and Ethereum test hybrid solutions to protect ECDSA-based infrastructure from future quantum decryption threats. - Migration challenges include larger key sizes, complex key management, and incentivizing users to rekey dormant accounts, complicati

Bitget-RWA2025/11/28 16:46

XRP News Today: XRP ETFs Attract Unprecedented Investments, But Price Remains Stuck Under Key Resistance

- XRP ETFs attracted $628M in inflows but token price remains below $2.22 resistance despite regulatory progress. - Solana ETFs saw $156M outflows vs XRP's $89M inflows due to technical issues and higher perceived risk. - Analysts highlight ETFs' role in liquidity but stress macroeconomic factors and technical barriers limit price breakthroughs. - XRP's 60-day range ($1.85-$2.15) contrasts with $3 price targets requiring sustained ETF demand and rate cut optimism.

Bitget-RWA2025/11/28 16:46
XRP News Today: XRP ETFs Attract Unprecedented Investments, But Price Remains Stuck Under Key Resistance