Derivatives exchange CME set to launch XRP futures in crypto push

Audio By Carbonatix

Enlarge

By Niket Nishant

(Reuters) -CME Group will launch futures contracts tied to the XRP cryptocurrency next month, the derivatives exchange said on Thursday, aiming to tap into the growing interest in tokens other than bitcoin and ether.

The cash-settled futures are set to launch on May 19, pending regulators’ approval.

Futures contracts let traders bet on or hedge against the future price movements of an asset, without owning it.

CME’s move highlights a push to offer sophisticated trading tools for altcoins — which typically refer to tokens smaller than bitcoin and ether.

Initially viewed as speculative assets, these coins are fast becoming a vital component of investors’ portfolios and can be a safe haven at a time when tariff-driven volatility has rattled equities.

XRP has gained 5.3% in 2025, while bitcoin is marginally down and ether has lost about half of its value. The benchmark S&P 500 index has fallen 8.6% during the period.

Last month, CME also rolled out futures related to solana, another major crypto token. Both solana and XRP have attracted a wave of institutional interest in recent months, with asset managers filing for exchange-traded funds tied to the tokens.

A Kaiko Research report earlier this month showed XRP’s trading volume on U.S. exchanges was steadily increasing.

The new product could help CME strengthen its presence in the retail trading space, an area it has been focusing on.

XRP is the native token of crypto firm Ripple Labs, which last month settled a civil lawsuit brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission over the alleged sale of unregistered securities.

“While overdue in a bunch of ways, this is an incredibly important and exciting step in the continued growth of the XRP market,” Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse posted on X, referring to the planned futures by CME.

(Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)