Today, CME Group provided the following statement about its plans to suspend launch of a new 10-Barrel Crude Oil futures contract:

"Providing efficient, regulated markets that allow our clients to cost-effectively manage business risk is always our top priority at CME Group," said CME Group Chairman and Chief Executive Terry Duffy. "We created and planned to launch a 10-Barrel oil contract to provide a transparent, regulated alternative to the 24/7 oil contracts that other venues have introduced in the marketplace. Whether as onshore prediction markets or offshore perpetuals, which are illegal for U.S. participants but may be accessed despite their illegality via virtual private networks, these energy products already trade around the clock, primarily for retail participants.

"We had hoped to provide a safer, more transparent alternative, within the U.S. jurisdiction and CFTC oversight. However, based on extensive conversations with industry participants, we have determined that key constituents are concerned that introducing 24/7 trading in energy without further due diligence could create unintended consequences, possibly introducing additional risk in the marketplace.

"Therefore, we are withdrawing our filing to launch this product at this time. We hope the CFTC will address the inequity, reestablish the level playing field that has made U.S. financial markets the envy of the world, and ensure all derivatives products meet the standards the law requires, in compliance with the core principles of the Commodity Exchange Act."