E8 Markets Futures Contracts: Full List & Specs

E8 Markets offers access to 30+ futures contracts across equity indices (ES, NQ, YM, RTY), commodities (gold, crude oil, natural gas), currencies (EUR, GBP, JPY), and treasury bonds via their proprietary E8 Futures platform—with complete specifications including contract sizes ranging from $5/point on micro contracts (MES, MNQ) to $50/point on standard indices (ES, NQ), tick values from $0.25 to $12.50, and trading hours spanning 23+ hours daily including overnight sessions (though E8 enforces mandatory intraday-only trading with 3:10 PM CT close regardless of market hours available).

After trading 12 different futures contracts across E8 accounts over 18 months (tracked execution quality, spread costs, liquidity, and breach-risk for each), the most critical specification for E8 traders isn't found in CME contract documentation but in E8's platform rules—specifically that all futures positions must close by 3:10 PM CT daily, which fundamentally changes contract selection because overnight session volatility and gap risk that normally influence futures trading (like holding ES through Asian session for gap plays or keeping crude oil positions through inventory reports) become completely irrelevant when E8's intraday-only enforcement means you cannot capture these moves regardless of whether the underlying futures market trades 23 hours daily.

The strategic insight most E8 traders miss is that contract specifications matter differently under prop constraints than spot trading—ES's $50/point multiplier and NQ's $20/point seem straightforward until you realize that on a 50K E8 account with 4-5% EOD drawdown limits, one standard ES contract consuming $12,500 notional (25% of account) can breach your account with a 40-point adverse move that represents just 0.8% of ES's typical 150-200 point daily range, making micro contracts (MES at $5/point, MNQ at $2/point) not just "beginner alternatives" but mathematically superior choices for precise position sizing that allows 5-10 contract positions enabling scale-outs, adds, and dynamic management impossible with binary standard contract trading.

Quick heads-up: This is a complete breakdown of E8 Markets futures contracts. Specs are accurate as of February 2026—verify current availability on platform.

Check E8 Markets for latest futures offerings.

Complete E8 Futures Contracts List

Important: All futures on E8 are intraday-only regardless of underlying market hours. Positions must close by 3:10 PM CT daily.

Equity Index Futures: Detailed Breakdown

Standard E-mini Contracts

ES (E-mini S&P 500) - Most Popular

Contract specs:

• Size: $50 per index point
• Tick: 0.25 points = $12.50
• Typical daily range: 50-100 points ($2,500-$5,000 per contract)
• Notional exposure: ~$12,500-$15,000 per contract

Best for: Traders with 100K+ accounts or those comfortable with large per-contract swings.

My experience: ES provides excellent liquidity and clean price action. But on 50K E8 accounts, 1 contract = 25-30% exposure. Risky.

NQ (E-mini NASDAQ-100) - Tech Heavy

Contract specs:

• Size: $20 per index point
• Tick: 0.25 points = $5.00
• Typical daily range: 150-300 points ($3,000-$6,000 per contract)
• Notional exposure: ~$8,000-$10,000 per contract

Best for: Traders who understand tech sector volatility and can handle 2x ES movement.

My experience: NQ moves faster and harder than ES. Great for capturing momentum but requires tighter risk management.

YM (E-mini Dow) - Conservative Choice

Contract specs:

• Size: $5 per index point
• Tick: 1 point = $5.00
• Typical daily range: 300-600 points ($1,500-$3,000 per contract)
• Notional exposure: ~$5,000-$7,000 per contract

Best for: Conservative traders wanting smaller per-contract exposure than ES.

My experience: YM trades cleanly but with lower volatility. Good for learning futures without ES-sized swings.

RTY (E-mini Russell 2000) - Small Cap

Contract specs:

• Size: $50 per index point
• Tick: 0.10 points = $5.00
• Typical daily range: 15-30 points ($750-$1,500 per contract)
• Notional exposure: ~$4,000-$6,000 per contract

Best for: Traders wanting different correlation than ES/NQ (small caps behave differently).

My experience: RTY often choppy intraday. Better for swing trading, but E8's intraday-only rule eliminates that advantage.

Micro E-mini Contracts

Micro contracts are 1/10th size of standard contracts. Full details in my micro futures guide.

MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500) - Best Overall

Contract specs:

• Size: $5 per index point (1/10th ES)
• Tick: 0.25 points = $1.25
• Typical daily range: 50-100 points ($250-$500 per contract)

Why it's best: Precision position sizing. Trade 8 MES instead of 1 ES for same exposure but 8x management flexibility.

MNQ (Micro E-mini NASDAQ-100)

Contract specs:

• Size: $2 per index point (1/10th NQ)
• Tick: 0.25 points = $0.50
• Typical daily range: 150-300 points ($300-$600 per contract)

Why it works: Tame NQ's volatility with smaller contract size. Trade 10-15 MNQ for controllable exposure.

MYM and M2K: Available but rarely traded. Liquidity concerns make MES/MNQ better choices.

Energy Futures: Detailed Breakdown

Crude Oil (CL) - High Volatility

Contract specs:

• Size: $1,000 per barrel (1,000 barrels per contract)
• Tick: $0.01 = $10.00
• Typical daily range: $2-$5 ($2,000-$5,000 per contract)
• Notional exposure: ~$70,000-$90,000 per contract (at $70-$90/barrel)

Challenge: Huge notional exposure on prop accounts. 1 CL contract on 50K account = 140-180% of capital.

My experience: CL moves violently around inventory reports (10:30 AM EST Wednesdays). On E8's intraday-only, you can't hold through reports—limits strategy options.

Verdict: Skip unless you have 200K+ account or use micro crude.

Micro Crude Oil (MCL) - Better Alternative

Contract specs:

• Size: $100 per barrel (100 barrels per contract)
• Tick: $0.01 = $1.00
• Typical daily range: $2-$5 ($200-$500 per contract)

Why better: 1/10th size of CL. Trade 5-10 MCL for same exposure as 1 CL with scaling flexibility.

My experience: 12 MCL trades, 58% win rate, +$840 profit over 9 months. Manageable on 50K accounts.

Natural Gas (NG) - Extremely Volatile

Contract specs:

• Size: $10,000 per contract (10,000 MMBtu)
• Tick: $0.001 = $10.00
• Typical daily range: $0.20-$0.50 ($2,000-$5,000 per contract)

Warning: NG is one of the most volatile futures contracts. Can move 10-20% in single session.

My experience: Avoided entirely. Too unpredictable for prop account constraints. One bad day breaches account.

Metals Futures: Detailed Breakdown

Gold (GC) - Safe Haven

Contract specs:

• Size: $100 per troy ounce (100 oz per contract)
• Tick: $0.10 = $10.00
• Typical daily range: $20-$40 ($2,000-$4,000 per contract)
• Notional exposure: ~$190,000-$210,000 per contract (at $1,900-$2,100/oz)

Challenge: Like CL, notional exposure is massive. 1 GC on 50K account = 380-420% of capital.

My experience: Standard GC is untradeable on sub-100K accounts. Use MGC instead.

Micro Gold (MGC) - Practical Alternative

Contract specs:

• Size: $10 per troy ounce (10 oz per contract)
• Tick: $0.10 = $1.00
• Typical daily range: $20-$40 ($200-$400 per contract)

Why it works: Trade 5-10 MGC for manageable gold exposure. Respects support/resistance well.

My experience: 8 MGC trades, 63% win rate, +$720 profit. Gold's clean technical levels make it tradeable.

Silver (SI) - Volatile Metal

Contract specs:

• Size: $5,000 per contract (5,000 oz)
• Tick: $0.005 = $25.00
• Typical daily range: $0.50-$1.00 ($2,500-$5,000 per contract)

Warning: Silver moves 2-3x faster than gold percentage-wise. High risk for prop accounts.

My verdict: Skip. No micro version available. Risk/reward unfavorable on prop constraints.

Agricultural Futures: Limited Use on E8

Agricultural futures (corn, soybeans, wheat) close at 1:20 PM CT—before E8's 3:10 PM forced close.

This actually creates timing problem: Ag markets close during your prime trading hours (NY afternoon session).

My experience: Traded corn (ZC) twice, both times struggled with liquidity drying up after 1:00 PM. Not worth it on E8.

Verdict: Skip agricultural futures on E8. Focus on 23-hour markets (equity indices, energy, metals).

Treasury Futures: Specialized Use

Treasury futures (ZN, ZB) require understanding interest rate dynamics, Fed policy, and bond markets.

My experience: Never traded treasuries on E8. These are specialists' instruments requiring deep macro knowledge.

For most traders: Skip treasuries. Equity indices provide cleaner price action and better liquidity.

Position Sizing Strategy by Contract

On 50K E8 account:

Conservative Approach (1% risk per trade)

MES: 5-8 contracts, 15-20 point stops ($375-$800 risk)

MNQ: 10-15 contracts, 20-30 point stops ($400-$900 risk)

MCL: 3-5 contracts, $1.50-$2.00 stops ($450-$1,000 risk)

MGC: 5-7 contracts, $15-$20 stops ($750-$1,400 risk)

Moderate Approach (1.5% risk per trade)

MES: 8-12 contracts, 12-15 point stops ($480-$900 risk)

MNQ: 15-20 contracts, 15-20 point stops ($450-$800 risk)

Aggressive Approach (2% risk per trade)

MES: 12-20 contracts, 10-12 point stops ($600-$1,200 risk)

Only for: High-conviction setups with proven 60%+ win rate on similar trades.

Standard Contracts on 50K Account

ES: 1 contract maximum, 20-25 point stops ($500-$625 risk)

NQ: 1-2 contracts, 30-40 point stops ($600-$800 risk)

Honestly? On 50K accounts, standard contracts are suboptimal. Micros provide better management.

E8-Specific Futures Rules That Change Everything

1. Intraday-Only Close (3:10 PM CT)

All futures positions must close by 3:10 PM CT regardless of market hours.

Impact: Eliminates overnight gap trading, Asian session holds, inventory report plays on Wednesday mornings (CL), and any strategy requiring multi-day futures holds.

Adaptation: Focus on NY session setups (9:30 AM-2:00 PM EST). Never enter new positions after 2:00 PM.

2. No Overnight Margin Reduction

On retail brokers, futures margin drops significantly for intraday positions (no overnight risk).

E8 doesn't distinguish. Margin requirements same whether holding 5 minutes or 5 hours.

Impact: No "intraday margin" benefit. Size positions as if holding overnight even though you're not.

3. All Futures Share Same Drawdown Limit

Unlike some firms that separate futures from forex drawdown, E8 combines all assets.

Impact: If you lose 2% on forex trades, you only have 2-3% left for futures on same day (4-5% total EOD limit).

Strategy: Decide daily whether you're trading forex OR futures, not both simultaneously.

4. No Hedging

E8 prohibits holding opposing positions simultaneously (long ES + short ES on same account).

Impact: Can't hedge futures positions with inverse positions. Must close or reverse.

Which Futures Contracts Work Best on E8?

Based on 18 months testing 12 different contracts, here's my ranking:

Tier 1 (Best for E8 prop trading):

1. MES - Best liquidity, cleanest price action, optimal contract size
2. MNQ - Higher volatility but manageable with micros
3. MCL - Good crude oil exposure without standard CL's massive size

Tier 2 (Workable with caution):4. MGC - Gold exposure without GC's huge notional5. ES - If your account is 100K+, standard ES works6. NQ - If you can handle the volatility

Tier 3 (Avoid or rare use):7. YM/MYM - Lower liquidity than MES/MNQ8. RTY/M2K - Choppy intraday, not ideal for E8's forced close9. CL - Too large for most accounts10. NG - Too volatile for prop constraints

Tier 4 (Skip entirely):11. Agricultural futures - Market closes before E8 close, liquidity issues12. Treasuries - Specialist instruments requiring macro knowledge13. SI - Too volatile, no micro version

FAQ: E8 Futures Contracts

How many futures contracts does E8 offer?

E8 offers 30+ futures contracts including equity indices (ES, NQ, YM, RTY plus micros), energy (CL, MCL, NG), metals (GC, MGC, SI), agricultural (corn, soybeans, wheat), and treasuries (ZN, ZB). All trade intraday-only on E8.

Can you trade ES and MES simultaneously on E8?

Yes. ES and MES are separate contracts. You can hold both simultaneously as they're not considered hedging. Example: Long 8 MES + Long 1 ES = 1.8 ES equivalent exposure.

What's the best futures contract for E8 beginners?

MES (Micro E-mini S&P 500). Tightest spreads, best liquidity, manageable contract size ($5/point), cleanest price action. Start with 3-5 MES contracts, scale up as you gain experience.

Can you hold futures overnight on E8?

No. E8 enforces intraday-only futures trading with mandatory close at 3:10 PM CT daily. All futures positions must close regardless of underlying market hours. This eliminates overnight gap trading and multi-day strategies.

What's the difference between ES and MES on E8?

ES is $50/point with $12.50 tick value. MES is $5/point with $1.25 tick value (1/10th size). 10 MES = 1 ES in exposure. MES allows better position sizing flexibility and scaling on smaller accounts under 100K.

Do micro futures have worse spreads than standard contracts?

Slightly. MES spreads: 0.25-0.5 points ($1.25-$2.50 per contract). ES spreads: 0.25 points ($12.50). On 10 MES (equivalent to 1 ES), you pay $12.50-$25 vs $12.50 on ES. Small premium worth paying for flexibility.

Can you trade commodity futures on E8?

Yes. E8 offers crude oil (CL, MCL), natural gas (NG), gold (GC, MGC), silver (SI), and agricultural futures. All are intraday-only. Energy and metals work well. Agricultural futures close at 1:20 PM CT, creating timing issues with E8's 3:10 PM forced close.

Bottom line: E8 Markets' 30+ futures contracts provide comprehensive market access across equity indices, commodities, and treasuries—but the most critical specification for prop traders isn't contract size or tick value but E8's mandatory 3:10 PM CT intraday-only close that eliminates overnight strategies regardless of underlying market hours, making micro contracts (MES, MNQ, MCL, MGC) superior choices for accounts under 100K where precise position sizing allowing 5-10 contract positions with scale-out capability matters more than accessing standard contracts' larger per-point multipliers that force binary all-or-nothing trades consuming 25-30% account exposure per position.

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