CME Expands Altcoin Futures with Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar Launch on February 9

CME Group is set to introduce futures contracts for Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar on February 9, signaling an increasing interest from institutions for regulated altcoin investment and risk management tools.

Key Takeaways

CME Group will launch futures contracts for Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar on February 9.
The new offerings include both standard and micro contracts to cater to different investment sizes.
This expansion responds to growing institutional demand for regulated cryptocurrency products.
Bitcoin and Ether futures precede potential spot ETF approvals, establishing price discovery mechanisms.

CME adds Cardano, Chainlink and Stellar futures.

CME Group Introduces Altcoin Futures

CME Group, the leading derivatives exchange globally, has revealed its plans to launch futures contracts for Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar. This move diversifies its cryptocurrency offerings beyond its well-known Bitcoin and Ether contracts.

Scheduled to start trading on February 9, pending regulatory approval, the contracts will be available in two sizes: standard and micro.

Contract Specifications

Cardano: Standard futures will involve 100,000 Cardano tokens per contract, while micro futures will include 10,000 Cardano.
Chainlink: The standard contract will have 5,000 Chainlink tokens, with micro contracts containing 250 Chainlink.
Stellar: Standard contracts will consist of 250,000 Stellar tokens, with micro versions incorporating 12,500 Stellar.

According to Giovanni Vicioso, the Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products at CME, the recent surge in the cryptocurrency market prompts clients to seek regulated products for managing price risks and accessing this vibrant market. Vicioso noted that the addition of both micro and standard sizes provides participants with enhanced flexibility and improved capital efficiency.

Established Projects

The three cryptocurrencies included in this future offering are notable in the sector:

Cardano: Known as a programmable blockchain, it ranks among the top cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.
Chainlink: Functions as an oracle network supplying real-world data to smart contracts.
Stellar: Facilitates smart contracts and supports global payment infrastructure.

CME first launched Bitcoin futures in 2017 and has since broadened its cryptocurrency derivatives, now offering futures and options linked to Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, and Solana. In 2025, CME reported an average daily volume of 278,300 crypto derivatives contracts and an average open interest of 313,900 contracts.

Increasing Institutional Demand

The introduction of these futures contracts aligns with the rising demand from institutions for cryptocurrency risk-management tools. Historically, CME’s futures listings have been precursors to the approval of U.S. spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs), helping to establish regulatory infrastructure and pricing mechanisms. Both Bitcoin and Ether have followed this pathway before gaining U.S. regulatory approval for their respective spot ETFs.

The new futures are intended for both institutional and retail traders who wish to navigate altcoin price variations or manage existing investments. The micro contracts, requiring lower capital than the standard futures, have become increasingly popular among smaller investors and institutions testing market waters.

This expansion hints at the growing institutional embrace of cryptocurrency derivatives as the financial infrastructure for digital assets continues to evolve. CME Group maintains regulated markets across various asset categories, including interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, and agriculture.