China is preparing to launch compute futures in Shanghai, signalling a push to link financial markets to computing power as the global AI boom drives new demand for digital infrastructure.
The Shanghai municipal government has released guidelines stating the new financial derivative would form part of efforts to turn the city into a global wealth management hub. It is the first time Shanghai’s authorities have explicitly mentioned compute futures in an official document.
“In light of the central government’s plans, we will accelerate the launch of liquefied natural gas futures and options and make preparations for the research and development of electricity futures and compute futures,” the local government said.
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“We will develop more new futures contracts in line with the growth of new productive forces,” it stated in the document published on Tuesday, without disclosing a timeline for the compute futures.
As mainland China’s commercial and financial centre, the megacity is home to the Shanghai Futures Exchange, the country’s largest commodity futures bourse.
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The announcement comes just three weeks after Chicago-based CME Group, a global commodity marketplace, said it would launch the world’s first compute futures this year. The contracts would allow traders, financial institutions, AI developers and cloud service providers to hedge against volatility and pricing risks, it added.
Another United States-based trading platform, Intercontinental Exchange, is also considering introducing similar contracts.