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Can you trade on weekends? Which markets are open, and which aren't

Yes, but only in some markets. Crypto trades 24/7, and CME crypto futures moved to weekend trading in 2026. US stocks, forex and most futures close from Friday afternoon until Sunday evening.

Beginner guide · 6-minute read · Updated 2026-10-21

The short answer

You can trade crypto on weekends, because crypto exchanges never close. US stocks, forex and most futures are closed on Saturday and most of Sunday.

The weekend is also the best free practice time of the week. More on that below.

What's open and when

All times are US Eastern Time.

Check the market hours tool for these times in your timezone.

Crypto: open all the time

Bitcoin, ether and other coins trade every hour of every day. That's because there's no single exchange that closes. Trading happens on many platforms worldwide.

Weekends often have less volume than weekdays. With fewer orders, prices can move sharply on a single headline, and spreads can widen. See crypto volatility explained.

CME crypto futures: a 2026 change

CME Group moved its regulated crypto futures and options to 24/7 trading on May 29, 2026, with a short weekly maintenance break. Weekend trades are recorded with the next business day's date.

Your futures broker may need to switch on weekend trading for your account, and some don't offer it at all. Check with yours.

Stocks: closed, for now

US stock exchanges are closed on weekends. Some brokers already offer overnight trading on weeknights in selected stocks and ETFs, and Nasdaq has proposed a near-24-hour weekday session. None of that covers Saturday.

If you see a "weekend price" for a stock on some app, it's usually an estimate or a different product, not the real exchange price.

Forex: closed from Friday to Sunday

Forex runs around the clock on weekdays, following the sun from Sydney to Tokyo to London to New York. It pauses from about 5:00 pm ET Friday to 5:00 pm ET Sunday.

Some brokers outside the US offer "weekend markets" as CFDs (contracts for difference), priced by the broker itself. CFDs aren't offered to US retail traders.

The weekend gap

Here's the thing about closed markets: news doesn't stop. If something big happens on Saturday, the price on Sunday evening or Monday morning can open far from Friday's close.

That jump is a Gap. It can skip past your Stop loss entirely, so you get filled at a worse price than you planned. Full guide: weekend gaps explained.

The best use of a weekend: practice

When markets are closed, you have time and no pressure. That's rare. Use it:

1. Replay last week. Go back to Monday on your chart and step through it candle by candle. Decide each trade before you see the next candle. See TradingView bar replay.
2. Review your journal. Look at the week's trades. Which ones followed your rules?
3. Mark next week's levels. Find the last places price turned around on the bigger chart. Our free chart tool on TradingView marks these for you.
4. Check the calendar. Note the big reports for next week. See how to read an economic calendar.

Charts are still visible on weekends. Only the trading pauses.

Should you trade crypto on weekends?

You can. Whether you should depends on your plan. Weekend crypto can be thin and jumpy, and it's easy to feel you must watch it all the time. You don't. See the "crypto never sleeps" myth.

If you do, use the same rules as any day: a stop on every trade, size from the stop, and a daily loss limit.

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