CME Group plans to launch futures on AI computing power
CME Group, an exchange operator, plans to launch two futures contracts for computing power for artificial intelligence systems on October 5. The launch is subject to regulatory approval, according to CNBC.
CME Group is implementing the project in partnership with Silicon Data. The new instruments are designed to give companies and investors the ability to trade and hedge the price of computing resources for AI—similar to trading oil, electricity, and other commodities.
The contracts will be pegged to the rental cost of Nvidia H100 graphics processing units (GPUs) and the newer Blackwell B200 models. They will be based on Silicon Data indices, which track hourly GPU rental prices. Each contract will represent a one-month rental of an Nvidia H100.
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Silicon Data CEO Carmen Lee stated that buyers of identical computing power previously had to pay very different amounts without being able to compare the terms of their deals. According to her, futures on computing resources will create a public price benchmark for the resources on which AI systems run.
As CNBC notes, the launch comes as Wall Street seeks new ways to finance the large-scale deployment of AI infrastructure and gain access to this market. Nvidia is collaborating with major global asset management firms on an initiative that could potentially channel up to $500 billion into AI infrastructure.
Computing power futures could become a distinct component of this financial market: investors will be able to gain exposure to the value of computing power itself, while AI developers and data center operators will have a tool for hedging costs or revenues.
