TLDR
- CME Group will launch options on Solana and XRP futures starting October 13, marking their first options expansion beyond Bitcoin and Ether
- More than 540,000 SOL futures contracts worth $22.3 billion have traded since March launch, with record August activity
- XRP futures reached record open interest of $942 million in August after launching in May
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group will introduce options on Solana and XRP futures contracts starting October 13. This marks the first time CME has expanded its options offerings beyond Bitcoin and Ether derivatives.
LATEST: 📈 CME Group has announced it will launch options on Solana and XRP futures on October 13, pending regulatory review. pic.twitter.com/bXabZa4DyM
— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) September 17, 2025
The new options products will cover both standard and micro-sized SOL and XRP futures contracts. They will include daily, monthly, and quarterly expiration dates, pending regulatory approval.
Giovanni Vicioso, CME’s global head of cryptocurrency products, said the expansion reflects growing demand in crypto futures markets. The products aim to serve institutions and individual traders.
Trading data shows strong performance for both assets since their futures launches this year. Solana futures have recorded over 540,000 contracts worth $22.3 billion in notional value since March.
August marked a record month for SOL futures with 9,000 contracts traded daily. XRP futures launched in May and have seen over 370,000 contracts worth $16.2 billion in notional value.
XRP futures reached record open interest of $942 million in August. The strong performance has driven CME’s decision to expand derivative offerings for both cryptocurrencies.
Traditional Finance Embraces Crypto Derivatives
The US crypto derivatives market began in December 2017 when both CME and the Chicago Board Options Exchange launched Bitcoin futures. These products operate under Commodity Futures Trading Commission oversight.
CME added Ether futures in 2021, followed by micro-sized contracts at 0.1 ETH. Until recently, regulated US crypto derivatives remained limited to Bitcoin and Ether products.
Other exchanges have expanded their crypto derivative offerings this year. Coinbase introduced Solana futures contracts in February, including standard and nano-sized options.
Kraken launched its US derivatives arm in July. Robinhood rolled out micro futures contracts for Bitcoin, Solana, and XRP through its derivatives division.
Global crypto derivatives open interest currently holds near $4 billion according to CoinMarketCap data. The growth reflects increasing institutional demand for regulated crypto trading products.
