CME Adds Cardano (ADA) and Stellar (XLM) Futures: Are XRP and Solana (SOL) About to Lose Their Institutional Edge?

Cardano (ADA) and Stellar (XLM) have officially launched as futures contracts on CME, the world’s largest regulated crypto derivatives platform, expanding institutional access beyond XRP, Solana, Ethereum and Bitcoin. 

This development follows CME’s crypto suite surpassing $3 trillion in notional volume in 2025, with XRP and SOL derivatives reaching record-high open interest and volume milestones. 

With ADA and XLM now tradable in both micro and full contract sizes, hedge funds and asset managers have new avenues for exposure.

Are XRP and SOL about to lose their institutional edge?

CME Group has officially launched futures contracts for Cardano (ADA) and Stellar Lumens (XLM) today. This expansion solidifies CME Group's position as a leading provider of regulated crypto derivatives, which already include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and XRP. 

Both standard and micro-sized contracts are now available, with ADA contracts sized at 100,000 and 10,000 coins, and XLM contracts sized at 250,000 and 12,500 units, respectively.

ADA and XLM now move into the same institutional arena as their larger-cap peers, enabling hedge funds and funds of funds to gain direct exposure in a CFTC-regulated environment. This announcement follows a record-breaking Q4 for CME’s crypto segment. 

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According to the quarterly report, during this period, there was average daily open interest of $30.7 billion and a notional volume of $12.7 billion, which is more than double the previous year's figures.

XRP and Solana led the way in Q4, with XRP futures reaching $21.5 billion in total volume and open interest peaking near $1.5 billion. Spot-quoted XRP and SOL contracts were launched in December, reflecting an appetite for product innovation tailored to institutional hedging needs.

XLM and ADA price update

ADA, currently hovering around $0.263, has been range-bound between $0.25 and $0.27 after failing to reclaim the $0.32 resistance level. 

XLM is trading near $0.16 with low volatility and tighter volumes. Nonetheless, CME inclusion is expected to improve institutional sentiment. The models project an upside toward $0.18-$0.19 if support holds.