Pepperstone is extending perpetual CFDs beyond digital assets, with planned products linked to gold, silver, major equity indices and crude oil as the industry explores regulated, around-the-clock trading.
13 July 2026: Pepperstone Brings Perpetual Contracts to Regulated Traditional Assets
Regulated CFD broker Pepperstone announced on 13 July 2026 (Monday, announcement location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates) that it was expanding its perpetual CFD (Perpetual CFD) product range beyond digital assets, making it one of the first regulated brokers to introduce perpetual market mechanics to traditional asset classes. The expansion comes as exchanges, brokers and regulators debate whether financial markets should move beyond fixed trading hours towards continuous, around-the-clock trading. (Sources: ZAWYA / TradingView News and Finance Magnates; published: 13 July 2026.)
While introducing new products to Pepperstone clients, the announcement also reflects a structural shift taking place across global finance: mechanisms originally developed for cryptocurrency markets are increasingly influencing traditional market infrastructure, as investors demand continuous access, automated execution and markets capable of reflecting the uninterrupted flow of information.
Crypto’s Most Successful Product Is Entering Traditional Markets
Perpetual futures first emerged in the cryptocurrency market in 2016, allowing traders to obtain leveraged exposure without being constrained by an expiry date, as they would be with traditional futures contracts. Traders can maintain exposure indefinitely without rolling positions monthly or quarterly, while periodic funding payments help keep perpetual contract prices aligned with the underlying market. The model subsequently became the dominant product in the cryptocurrency derivatives market.
Industry estimates indicate that annual perpetual futures trading volume exceeded US$90 trillion in 2025, placing the product among the world’s fastest-growing market categories. At the same time, several industry forecasts suggest that the value of tokenised assets could rise from approximately US$2 trillion today to as much as US$16 trillion by 2030. Together, these trends are reshaping expectations of how financial markets should operate: investors increasingly expect immediate access when news is released, rather than being restricted by the opening and closing times of traditional exchanges. (Source: ZAWYA / TradingView News; published: 13 July 2026.)
Perpetual Contract Products Planned by Pepperstone
Pepperstone argues that this type of market structure should no longer be confined to cryptocurrency. Following the launch of SPCX.US-PERP, a synthetic perpetual CFD referencing SpaceX, the broker listed the underlying assets planned for the next phase of its rollout, covering metals, equity indices and energy markets. Unlike perpetual futures traded on cryptocurrency exchanges, Pepperstone’s products operate entirely within its existing CFD infrastructure. Clients can continue using their existing trading accounts, familiar trading platforms and regulated brokerage relationship, without requiring a cryptocurrency wallet, exchange collateral or a separate registration process. It should be noted that, at the time of the announcement, only the SpaceX contract was available for trading. All of the instruments listed below remained at the planning stage, and the company did not provide specific launch dates. (Source: Finance Magnates; published: 13 July 2026.)
Precious metals: gold and silver — extending perpetual market access to metal assets in response to investor demand for continuous price discovery.
Equity indices: the Nasdaq Index and S&P 500 Index — bringing index exposure into a perpetual structure with no fixed expiry date.
Energy: WTI crude oil and Brent crude oil — covering the two principal crude oil benchmarks for energy traders highly sensitive to geopolitical developments.
Industry Moves Towards Around-the-Clock Trading as Regulators Remain Cautious
Pepperstone is not the only institution expecting traditional markets eventually to operate continuously. Over the past year, several major exchanges have announced longer trading hours or introduced products inspired by cryptocurrency market structures. Among them, Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (CME) launched its Treasury Link platform, designed to connect US Treasury futures with the cash Treasury market, while expanding its broader strategy around continuous market access.
At the same time, regulators have signalled that the transition will not necessarily be straightforward. After receiving a self-certification filing from CME on 8 July 2026 for a small, around-the-clock crude oil futures contract covering 10 barrels, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) stayed the certification under 17 C.F.R. 40.2(c). CFTC Chairman Michael Selig commented on the decision:
“The CFTC is reviewing whether 24/7 futures trading across asset classes is consistent with our statutory core principles. As I have repeatedly emphasised, we will not take a one-size-fits-all approach to around-the-clock trading.”
The Commission noted that it had sought public comment on 22 June 2026 regarding the extension of standard futures contracts, including crude oil, to around-the-clock trading, and considered that CME should not proceed before that process was completed. It will continue reviewing CME’s parallel application through the formal approval process. The decision highlights the central challenge facing the industry’s transition towards continuous markets: technology has made uninterrupted trading possible, but regulators remain concerned about whether liquidity, price discovery, clearing systems and investor protection can develop at the same pace. (Sources: CFTC official press release 9265-26, published 9 July 2026; Financial Times and Investing.com.)
Why Market Structure Is Changing
The forces pushing markets towards continuous trading extend far beyond the cryptocurrency sector. The following factors are collectively reshaping fundamental expectations of market structure:
Artificial intelligence increasingly generates trading signals around the clock, meaning trading opportunities are no longer confined to market opening hours.
Geopolitical events frequently occur outside traditional trading hours, highlighting the value of continuous market access.
Retail investors now participate in global rather than purely domestic markets, while institutional investors increasingly manage portfolios across multiple time zones.
Tokenisation is reinforcing this trend — as financial assets become more digital and blockchain-based settlement reduces dependence on traditional exchange infrastructure, the distinction between trading hours and market closures is becoming increasingly blurred.
For CFD brokers, perpetual products also offer an additional advantage: they can provide uninterrupted trading opportunities through instruments designed for continuous trading, without requiring clients to roll expiring futures positions or wait for markets to reopen.
Key Data at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Period | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual perpetual futures trading volume (estimated) | More than US$90 trillion | 2025 | Market size |
| Current valuation of the tokenised asset market | Approximately US$2 trillion | Current | Market size |
| Forecast tokenised asset market size | Up to US$16 trillion | 2030 | Market forecast |
| Pepperstone client base | More than 400,000 | Current | Broker scale |
The Competitive Landscape Among Brokers Is Shifting
For many years, competition in the retail brokerage industry centred primarily on spreads, execution speed and trading platform functionality. Differentiation is now increasingly shifting towards market access. Brokers are expanding into areas such as tokenised assets, AI-powered trading tools, portfolio automation and perpetual products, blurring the established boundaries between cryptocurrency markets and traditional financial instruments. If investor demand continues moving towards uninterrupted trading, competitive advantage may no longer belong to the company offering the lowest spreads, but to institutions capable of providing seamless market access at any time. Pepperstone Group Chief Executive Officer Tamas Szabo and Head of Research Chris Weston commented separately on this transition in the announcement:
“The concept of markets opening and closing at fixed times is becoming increasingly outdated. Capital, information and risk now move continuously, and we believe perpetual markets will become a standard feature of modern finance. Our focus is on bringing this future model into a regulated environment that traders already know and trust.”
“Major market developments no longer wait for the opening bell. Information is global, immediate and continuous, and traders increasingly expect to enter the market when opportunities arise.”
Questions About Pepperstone Perpetual Contracts and Around-the-Clock Trading
What is the main difference between perpetual contracts and traditional futures?
Traditional futures contracts have a fixed expiry date, requiring position holders to roll their exposure monthly or quarterly. Perpetual contracts have no expiry date and use periodic funding payments to keep the contract price close to the underlying market price, allowing exposure to be maintained indefinitely.
How do Pepperstone’s perpetual CFDs differ from perpetual futures on cryptocurrency exchanges?
Pepperstone’s products are CFDs that reference underlying assets and operate entirely within its regulated CFD infrastructure. Traders obtain exposure through standard trading accounts without requiring a cryptocurrency wallet, exchange collateral or a separate registration process.
Which Pepperstone perpetual contracts are currently available?
As at the announcement on 13 July 2026, only SPCX.US-PERP, the synthetic perpetual contract referencing SpaceX, was available for trading. Versions linked to gold, silver, the Nasdaq Index, the S&P 500 Index, WTI crude oil and Brent crude oil were listed as planned products, but the company did not disclose specific launch dates.
Why did the CFTC halt CME’s around-the-clock crude oil futures contract?
CME submitted a self-certification filing on 8 July 2026 for an around-the-clock crude oil futures contract covering 10 barrels. The CFTC considered it inappropriate to proceed with certification while the Commission was still seeking public comment on around-the-clock trading, and therefore stayed the filing under the relevant provision. It will continue reviewing the parallel application through the formal approval process.
Why is market structure evolving towards continuous trading?
AI-generated trading signals operating around the clock, geopolitical events occurring outside trading hours, retail participation in global markets, institutional portfolio management across time zones and tokenisation reducing dependence on traditional exchange infrastructure are collectively driving the shift from fixed trading sessions towards continuous market access.
