CME Group announced it will launch futures contracts for Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar on February 9, pending regulatory approval. The Chicago-based derivatives exchange will offer both standard and micro-sized contracts for all three digital assets. This expansion broadens CME's regulated cryptocurrency offerings beyond Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, and Solana. Trading of these new contracts is subject to final review by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Contract Details and Market Context
CME will list six new contracts upon the commencement of trading. Cardano futures will include standard contracts for 100,000 ADA and micro contracts for 10,000 ADA. Chainlink products will feature standard contracts for 5,000 LINK and micro contracts for 250 LINK. Stellar futures will offer standard contracts for 250,000 Lumens and micro contracts for 12,500 Lumens.
These new listings follow a record-breaking year for CME's crypto derivatives in 2025. During this period, the average daily volume for crypto derivatives surged by 139%, reaching 278,300 contracts with a notional value of $12 billion.
Giovanni Vicioso, CME's global head of cryptocurrency products, stated that clients are seeking more regulated products to manage price risk within a growing market. CME initially launched Bitcoin futures in December 2017, followed by Ether futures in February 2021. The exchange further expanded its offerings with XRP futures in May 2025 and Solana futures in March 2025.
Significance of the Expansion
The expansion of CME's crypto futures offerings provides both institutional and retail traders with increased regulated options to gain exposure to mid-cap cryptocurrencies. As of Wednesday, Cardano was the ninth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, valued at approximately $35 billion. Chainlink held the 13th position with a market cap of roughly $16 billion, while Stellar ranked 30th with a market cap of $5.4 billion.
CME's introduction of micro-sized contracts is designed to lower the barrier to entry for smaller traders, while the standard contracts cater to institutional players seeking to establish larger positions. The exchange's crypto open interest reached $26.4 billion in 2025, marking an 82% increase year-over-year. CME has established itself as a preferred venue for regulated crypto trading, surpassing offshore exchanges in Bitcoin futures open interest during 2025.
Both the retail platform NinjaTrader and the institutional firm Wedbush Securities have expressed support for the launch, citing a growing demand for capital-efficient crypto derivatives. The planned February launch date is consistent with CME's strategy of expanding its crypto offerings during periods of heightened market activity. In 2025, micro Ether futures led CME's crypto suite in terms of average daily volume, with 144,000 contracts traded.
Regulatory approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission remains the final prerequisite before the three new futures products can commence trading.