Singapore Exchange (SGX) plans to launch Bitcoin perpetual futures in the second half of 2025, targeting institutional and professional investors, according to a spokesperson cited by Bloomberg.

The offering, pending approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, aims to expand institutional access to cryptocurrency within a regulated framework.

The move aligns with a broader trend of established exchanges entering the Bitcoin derivatives market, driven by growing institutional demand and pro-crypto sentiment, including recent policy shifts under former U.S. President Donald Trump.

SGX’s perpetual futures, which lack an expiry date, mirror products widely traded on offshore platforms such as Binance and OKX.

These contracts were also a key component of FTX’s now-defunct trading model, underscoring both their popularity and associated risks.

SGX is positioning its Moody’s Aa2-rated platform as a more secure alternative for digital asset derivatives trading.

Other players are also eyeing the segment. In January 2024, EDX Markets, a digital asset firm backed by Citadel Securities, announced plans to introduce similar instruments in Singapore.

Meanwhile, Chicago-based Bitnomial intends to launch perpetual futures in the U.S. market later this year.

While perpetual futures are relatively new in crypto, similar mechanisms exist in traditional finance.

Japan Exchange Group offers rolling-spot gold futures, providing investors exposure to gold prices without physical delivery.

The perpetual contract model, first introduced by BitMEX in 2016, employs a funding rate system to balance long and short positions.

Featured image credit: Edited from Freepik