Chicago-based derivatives giant CME Group is stepping up its exposure to altcoins, reflecting growing demand for regulated crypto products across the United States.
The move signals that institutional and retail interest in digital assets is no longer limited to Bitcoin and Ethereum.
New Futures Contracts Set for Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar
On Thursday, CME announced plans to list futures contracts tied to Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK), and Stellar (XLM) on February 9, pending regulatory approval.
If approved, these contracts would join CME’s existing suite of crypto derivatives regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which already includes Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), XRP (XRP), and Solana (SOL).
The new offerings are designed to meet growing demand from traders looking for regulated ways to gain exposure to digital assets.
CME intends to offer both standard and micro futures for each altcoin, with position sizes ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 ADA, 250 to 5,000 LINK, and 12,500 to 250,000 XLM.
The inclusion of micro contracts makes these products more accessible to retail traders, although availability will depend on brokerage support.
Futures Provide Exposure Without Owning Tokens
Futures contracts allow investors to speculate on the price of an asset or hedge risk without actually holding the underlying tokens.
This approach has made crypto futures an attractive option for both institutional players and smaller retail investors who want regulated, convenient exposure to the market.
Martin Franchi, CEO of retail futures platform NinjaTrader, noted that digital assets are hitting a “global inflection point” as they increasingly become a core part of investor portfolios.
He added that CME’s new altcoin futures reflect retail traders’ growing appetite for regulated crypto products and a broader selection of digital assets.
CME and Nasdaq Join Forces on Crypto Benchmarks
CME’s announcement follows a collaborative effort with Nasdaq to unify their crypto benchmarks.
The Nasdaq Crypto Index has been rebranded as the Nasdaq-CME Crypto Index, which now tracks prices for BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, LINK, ADA, and Avalanche (AVAX).
This consolidation offers investors a clearer, standardized measure of the digital asset market.
Altcoin Futures Slowly Enter US-Regulated Markets
Until now, the US crypto futures market has been dominated by BTC and ETH, with limited expansion into other digital assets.
CME’s introduction of Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar futures represents one of the first significant moves to broaden regulated altcoin offerings in 2025.
Other exchanges have taken steps in similar directions.
Coinbase launched a CFTC-regulated derivatives platform in June 2023, initially for institutional clients, then expanded access to retail-focused contracts in May 2025.
Kraken also rolled out a US derivatives platform in July 2025, allowing users to trade CME-listed futures, though access to altcoin perpetual contracts remains limited to non-US customers.
Meanwhile, derivatives exchange Bitnomial has been more aggressive with altcoin offerings.
In March, it launched regulated XRP futures for US clients.
This week, Bitnomial introduced the first regulated monthly futures contracts for Aptos (APT), initially targeting institutional investors, with retail access expected soon.
Regulated Altcoin Products Signal Growing Market Maturity
CME’s decision to expand its altcoin futures line highlights the increasing sophistication of the US crypto market.
Investors now have more tools to manage risk and access a wider range of digital assets under regulatory oversight, signaling a shift toward broader adoption and integration of crypto into mainstream finance.
Regulated altcoin futures may not only attract more retail interest but also strengthen market confidence by offering a safer, more transparent trading environment for traders of all sizes.
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