TradFi futures gain ground on crypto exchanges

Traditional finance perpetual futures trading is gaining momentum on crypto exchanges as investors increasingly use digital asset platforms to access commodities and macroeconomic markets, according to a new report from CryptoQuant.

The report found that demand for gold, silver and oil contracts has risen amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and inflation concerns, contributing to a growing convergence between traditional finance and cryptocurrency trading venues.

“Traders increasingly turned to crypto exchanges to gain exposure through 24/7 markets,”

CryptoQuant analysts said.

Gate led the market with $368 billion in TradFi perpetual futures volume, while Binance recorded $298 billion, with the two exchanges accounting for roughly two-thirds of all TradFi futures trading volume reported so far in 2026.

The trend comes as crypto exchanges expand beyond digital assets by offering exposure to tokenised stocks, commodities, indices and around-the-clock derivatives markets that mirror products traditionally available through conventional financial institutions.

At the same time, cryptocurrency trading activity has weakened, with spot trading volume on centralised exchanges falling to $679 billion in April, the lowest level since October 2023, while perpetual futures volumes also declined as traders reduced leverage.

Despite softer demand for bitcoin, CryptoQuant noted signs of continued institutional participation, with Gate recording the largest average bitcoin trade sizes across both spot and perpetual futures markets, suggesting larger investors remain active even as broader market activity contracts.

At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $63,044.64.