MBT futures explained: how CME micro bitcoin futures work
MBT is the full CME bitcoin contract shrunk 50 times. Same price, same chart, same rules, but each move costs a fraction as much. That's what makes careful sizing possible.
At a glance
| Item | MBT (CME Micro Bitcoin) |
|---|---|
| What it is | A futures contract worth 0.1 bitcoin, priced in US dollars per bitcoin |
| Tick size | $5 per bitcoin |
| One tick is worth | $0.50 ($0.10 per $1 move in bitcoin) |
| Busiest hours (ET) | About 8:30 am – 4:00 pm, the US stock market day |
| What moves it most | Bitcoin's own price, ETF flows, the Fed, stock market mood |
| Trading hours | 24/7 since May 29, 2026, with a 2-minute weekday break (5:00–5:02 pm ET) and a 2-hour break early Saturday (3–5 am ET) |
| Settlement | Cash, to the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate |
Specs checked Oct 2026. Check cmegroup.com for current specs before you trade.
Micro vs full size
| MBT (micro) | BTC (full) | |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin per contract | 0.1 | 5 |
| Value of a $1 move | $0.10 | $5 |
| Value of a $1,000 move | $100 | $5,000 |
| Tick value | $0.50 | $25 |
Same chart, 50 times smaller. Our micro vs E-mini guide explains why micros exist across futures.
Why size is the whole story
Bitcoin can move $1,000 or more in a day. On a full BTC contract that's $5,000. On MBT it's $100.
That doesn't make MBT safe. It makes it sizable. You can set your stop where the chart says, then choose how many contracts keep your risk at about 1% of your account.
Example: a 10,000-unit account risking 1% has 100 units to risk. Your stop is $600 below entry. One MBT loses $600 × 0.1 = $60 at that stop. So one contract fits, and two would be $120, over the limit. A math example, not a promise.
What moves it
The same things that move bitcoin:
- Spot bitcoin markets. MBT follows them closely.
- Spot bitcoin ETF flows. US spot bitcoin ETFs began trading in January 2024.
- Rates and the dollar. Fed news at 2:00 pm ET.
- Stock market mood. Bitcoin often falls on big risk-off days.
- Crypto headlines. Hacks, exchange problems and regulation can hit any hour.
When it's busiest
CME volume peaks in US hours. Weekends trade now, but usually thinner, with wider spreads.
Its personality
- Same swings as bitcoin. Only the dollar size is smaller.
- Monthly expiry. Contracts expire on the last Friday of the month, settling in cash. Roll before then. See Contract rollover.
- Commissions matter more. On a small contract, fees are a bigger share of each trade. Check them.
- Old charts show weekend gaps. Before May 2026 CME closed on weekends. Those gaps came from the old hours.
Reading it with our method
- Daily and 4-hour charts first. Mark the last places bitcoin turned around. Which way is the bigger trend?
- Trade with that direction. Use the small chart only to find the entry.
- Body-close rule. Bitcoin's long tails fool people. Only a body close past a level counts.
- Stop first, size second. Then use the futures tick value calculator to count contracts.
Practise first. Replay past bitcoin charts and log 20 trades before going live. Our bar replay guide shows how.
Common mistakes
- Buying many micros. Ten MBT is two-tenths of a full BTC. Small contracts add up.
- Skipping the stop because the size is small. Small risks grow when there's no exit.
- Ignoring fees. On short trades, commissions can be a big slice.
- Forgetting expiry. The last Friday of the month comes fast.
Questions
How much is a tick on micro bitcoin futures?
$0.50. The tick is $5 per bitcoin, and one contract covers 0.1 bitcoin.
How big is a micro bitcoin contract?
0.1 bitcoin, which is one-fiftieth of the full CME bitcoin contract (5 bitcoin).
Do micro bitcoin futures trade 24/7?
Yes. CME moved its crypto futures to 24/7 trading on May 29, 2026, with short maintenance breaks.
Is MBT good for beginners?
It lets you size bitcoin trades small, which helps. But bitcoin is very volatile and losses are always possible. Practise on past charts first.
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