Derivatives exchange CME set to launch XRP futures in crypto push - Reuters

April 24 (Reuters) - CME Group (CME.O), opens new tab 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.
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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 (.SPX), opens new tab 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.
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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.
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Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar
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Niket NishantThomson ReutersNiket Nishant reports on breaking news and the quarterly earnings of Wall Street's largest banks, card companies, financial technology upstarts and asset managers. He also covers the biggest IPOs on U.S. exchanges, and late-stage venture capital funding alongside news and regulatory developments in the cryptocurrency industry. His writing appears on the finance, business, markets and future of money sections of the website. He did his post-graduation from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media (IIJNM) in Bengaluru.