Major Financial Firm CME Group to Launch Futures Contracts for Three Surprise Altcoins – They Previously Launched Them for XRP, Ethereum and Solana

CME Group is expanding its portfolio of crypto derivatives. CME Group, one of the world’s leading derivatives markets, announced plans to launch futures contracts for Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK), and Stellar (XLM) on February 9th (subject to regulatory approval).

The new contracts will be offered in both standard and micro sizes, allowing investors to choose between larger positions and smaller, lower-cost transactions. According to the contract details, ADA futures will be 100,000 ADA and Micro ADA 10,000 ADA, LINK futures will be 5,000 LINK and Micro LINK 250 LINK, and Stellar (XLM) futures will be 250,000 Lumens and Micro Lumens 12,500 Lumens.

This step further expands CME’s existing crypto suite, which includes Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana futures and options.

CME Group reported record levels of volume and open interest (OI) in cryptocurrency futures and options in 2025. While demand for regulated digital asset products accelerated early in the year, momentum weakened towards the end. According to the data, Bitcoin futures volume and OI experienced sharp declines in December, marking the weakest month of 2025. Ethereum and Solana contracts also saw consecutive monthly declines until the end of the year following widespread market liquidations in October.

Giovanni Vicioso, Head of Global Crypto Products at CME Group, pointed to the rapid growth of cryptocurrencies over the past year, saying that customers are looking for reliable and regulated products to manage price risk and gain exposure to this dynamic market. Vicioso stated that new micro and standard contracts will provide investors with greater flexibility and capital efficiency.

Messages of support also came from market participants. Bob Fitzsimmons, Vice President of Wedbush Securities, stated that the maturation of regulated crypto futures products is important for the sector, while NinjaTrader CEO Martin Franchi described this move as a “turning point” for the futures industry. Justin Young, CEO of Volatility Shares, stated that more regulated products are critical for risk management.

According to CME Group’s key data for 2025, the average daily volume in crypto futures and options reached a record high of 278,300 contracts (approximately $12 billion in nominal value), while the average open interest reached a record high of 313,900 contracts ($26.4 billion in nominal value). Options also saw historical levels with an average daily volume of 4,100 contracts and an average open interest of 60,400 contracts.