Crypto Perpetual Futures Drive 25% Rise in Weekend Trading as Traditional Finance Rethinks Markets

According to CoinDesk, crypto perpetual futures trading has surged on weekends in recent months, with traditional Wall Street institutions reassessing the "weekend closure" rule. Hyperliquid recorded $1.2 billion in open interest for oil perpetual futures on March 8—a Sunday—when traditional energy markets were closed. Data shows oil perpetual contract trading volume was 2–3 times higher on weekdays than weekends over the past three months, but weekend trading rose approximately 25% since the March Iran-Israel tensions.

However, traditional financial institutions have not yet entered crypto perpetual futures at scale, citing insufficient liquidity, incomplete infrastructure, and the fact that banking and clearing systems do not yet operate 24/7. Oil perpetual contract volume represented just 2%–4% of traditional crude futures market size during March–April.