CME Group launched futures contracts for Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK), and Stellar (XLM) on February 9, expanding its regulated crypto derivatives suite to seven tokens and, by CME’s calculation, to more than 75% of total cryptocurrency market capitalization, based on CoinMarketCap data as of February 13, 2026. The exchange noted that 2025 was a record year for its cryptocurrency products, with average daily open interest across the full suite reaching approximately $26.4 billion, reflecting growing regulated institutional exposure to crypto since CME listed its first bitcoin futures in 2017.
The three new contracts—available in both standard and micro sizes—are cash-settled against CME CF Reference Rates. First trades were executed between FalconX and Marex for the LINK and XLM contracts, and between Cumberland DRW and Wintermute for ADA. CME also plans to introduce a Nasdaq CME Crypto Index futures product, targeted for March 16, pending regulatory approval.
Average daily volume across CME’s crypto suite hit 278,300 contracts in 2025, equivalent to roughly $12 billion in notional value. This followed the 2025 addition of Solana and XRP futures and options, which CME said expanded demand for multi-asset crypto risk management tools.
Leave a Reply