XRP Futures Now Available for Trading on CME

CME Debuts XRP Futures, Signaling Progress Toward Spot XRP ETFs

On Monday, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) began trading regulated XRP futures, marking a significant milestone as the first U.S. platform to offer futures contracts pegged to XRP’s price.

Market participants can trade two contract sizes—2,500 XRP and 50,000 XRP—with both settled in cash and linked to the CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate, which tracks XRP’s daily price at 4 p.m. London time.

CME’s product lineup also includes futures for bitcoin (BTC), ethereum (ETH), and solana (SOL), as well as options on bitcoin and ethereum. The launch of solana futures in March saw modest volumes, with $12.3 million in notional daily volume and $7.8 million in open interest, notably less active than bitcoin and ethereum futures at their respective launches.

XRP’s price dipped 3.45% over the last 24 hours.

The introduction of regulated XRP futures is a critical step in the ongoing efforts to gain SEC approval for spot XRP exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Although several issuers have submitted applications, none have yet been approved.

“CME-traded XRP futures are officially live under CFTC regulation,” said Nate Geraci, President of ETF Store. “This development brings us closer to the arrival of spot XRP ETFs.”

During former SEC Chair Gary Gensler’s tenure, the approval of spot bitcoin and ethereum ETFs was contingent on the prior existence of regulated futures markets. The CME’s launch of XRP futures may help pave the way for similar approvals for XRP-based ETFs.