CME Group, the world’s largest derivatives marketplace, announced it will launch options on Solana (SOL) and XRP futures on October 13, 2025, pending regulatory review.
What’s Coming
The new contracts will cover SOL, Micro SOL, XRP, and Micro XRP futures, with expiries available daily, monthly, and quarterly. This gives market participants more ways to manage exposure to two of the most traded cryptocurrencies outside Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Giovanni Vicioso, Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products at CME Group, said the move builds on the “significant growth and increasing liquidity” of Solana and XRP futures.
Institutional Support
Major trading firms welcomed the expansion.
- Cumberland, a leading liquidity provider, said the launch shows rising demand beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum.
- FalconX opened up about the growing role of Solana and XRP in digital asset treasuries and called the new products an important tool for institutional hedging.
Trading Data
Both Solana and XRP futures have grown rapidly since their launches earlier this year:
- Solana: Over 540,000 contracts ($22.3B notional) traded since March. In August, daily volume hit 9,000 contracts ($437.4M) with open interest at 12,500 contracts ($895M).
- XRP: Over 370,000 contracts ($16.2B notional) traded since May. August saw record daily volume of 6,600 contracts ($385M) and open interest of 9,300 contracts ($942M).
Conclusion
The launch could act as a bullish catalyst by offering institutions more risk management tools. Analysts expect higher trading volumes and stronger price action as capital rotates into Solana and XRP.
However, there are also warnings about the same. Options markets often bring sharper volatility and risk of over-leverage, especially in the early days. Some also warn that excitement could overshadow fundamental concerns, particularly around Solana’s decentralization.
The new products mark another step in CME Group’s expansion into crypto derivatives, reinforcing the growing role of Solana and XRP in institutional markets.
