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CME adds four new cryptocurrency benchmark indices including Arbitrum and Sui, and incorporates them into the institutional pricing system

ChainCatcher news, according to FinanceFeeds, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (CME Group) and CF Benchmarks announced the launch of reference rates and real-time indices for four types of crypto assets: Arbitrum, Ondo, NEAR, and Sui, on June 2, 2025. This expansion allows the CME CF benchmark index system to cover over 96% of the investable cryptocurrency market capitalization. The new reference rates will be published once daily at 16:00 London time in USD, with Ondo and Sui providing additional quotes at 16:00 New York time; the real-time indices will be updated every second throughout the year.The benchmark data is aggregated from at least two partner exchanges, including Bitstamp and Coinbase. Giovanni Vicioso, Global Head of CME Cryptocurrency Products, stated that the new benchmarks provide institutional investors with transparent pricing tools to assist in portfolio valuation and structured product creation. Sui Chung, CEO of CF Benchmarks, pointed out that these new indices, which follow the same methodology as the Bitcoin Reference Rate (BRR), will meet the compliance requirements for accuracy and transparency demanded by traditional financial institutions.Currently, the CME CF benchmark index covers 28 crypto assets, providing pricing support for over $40 billion in regulated crypto products. The inclusion of layer one networks and DeFi-related tokens further promotes the integration of this emerging asset class into institutional-grade infrastructure.

Analysis: The U.S. will release the PCE index tonight, and the Federal Reserve's rate cut window may be closing

ChainCatcher News, the U.S. will announce the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation indicator tonight------the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE). The market expects that the PCE price index for April may only increase by 0.1% month-on-month, while the year-on-year growth rate is expected to drop from 2.3% to 2.2%, approaching pre-pandemic levels.On the core side, the month-on-month growth rate of the core PCE, which excludes the volatility of food and energy prices, is expected to be 0.1%, but the year-on-year growth rate will remain high at 2.6%. Currently, the importance of the PCE lies in the fact that the Federal Reserve prefers to use it to measure the underlying trends in inflation.Analysts point out that the inflation effects of the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have just begun to permeate the U.S. economy. Most economists predict that even if Trump relaxes some tariffs, inflation may rebound to 3% in a few months. With the U.S. core PCE stuck in the 2.8%-2.6% range for six consecutive months, the Federal Reserve's window for rate cuts is closing.Although some Federal Reserve officials still hold a positive attitude towards rate cuts, the interest rate futures market shows that traders' predictions for the probability of a rate cut in September have plummeted from 68% a week ago to 47%. They also expect that the U.S. economy is at a crossroads of a new inflation cycle.
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