Catenaa, Wednesday, January 21, 2026- CME Group plans to expand its regulated cryptocurrency derivatives lineup by adding futures contracts tied to Cardano, Chainlink and Stellar, with trading scheduled to begin February 9.
The exchange said the new products will include both standard and micro contracts, allowing traders to choose between larger positions and lower-cost exposure.
The additions will broaden CME’s crypto suite, which already includes futures and options linked to bitcoin, ether, XRP and solana.
CME reported strong demand for regulated digital asset products through much of 2025, with crypto futures and options posting record average daily volumes and open interest earlier in the year. Activity slowed toward year end, however, as broader market conditions weakened.
Bitcoin futures volumes and open interest dropped sharply in December, marking the weakest month of 2025.
Ethereum and solana contracts recorded consecutive monthly declines from October through December following a broad market selloff in early October, according to futures data tracked by The Block.
Despite the late-year pullback, CME has continued to expand its crypto offerings, citing longer-term demand from institutional and professional traders seeking regulated tools to manage price risk.
The exchange has positioned digital assets as a core part of its future market structure. Alongside new product launches, CME has outlined plans to move crypto futures and options toward continuous, round-the-clock trading beginning in 2026.
Executives have described cryptocurrency markets as well suited for nonstop trading, given their global nature and constant price discovery.
While the transition to continuous trading has not yet been implemented, CME has repeatedly pointed to crypto as the starting point for broader changes across its derivatives markets.
