CME to Launch Crypto Index Futures

CME Group has unveiled plans to launch Nasdaq CME Crypto Index futures on 8 June, pending regulatory review, a move the Merc says will be its first-ever market-cap weighted futures contract.

CME says the new contracts will provide market participants with a capital-efficient way to gain exposure to the top cryptocurrencies by market cap – but through a single, financially settled futures contract. The index measures the performance of the largest and most actively traded cryptocurrencies, and currently includes bitcoin, ether, SOL, XRP, ADA, LINK, and lumens. The new contracts will be financially-settled to the value of the Nasdaq CME Crypto Settlement Price Index.

“Demand for regulated cryptocurrency futures continues to increase, with average daily volume in our suite up 43% year-to-date,” says Giovanni Vicioso, global head of cryptocurrency products at CME Group. “As investment in this market continues, these new futures will provide another way for investors to manage their risk.”

Sean Wasserman, head of index product management at Nasdaq, adds, “As investor participation in cryptocurrencies continues to evolve, there is growing demand for benchmarks that reflect the broader market and are built with the same governance and transparency investors expect in other asset classes. The Nasdaq CME Crypto Index was designed to serve as that foundation, and the introduction of futures linked to the index is a natural extension of how index-based frameworks support market development over time.”