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CME Group to List Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar Futures With Cash Settlement

CME Group to List Cardano, Chainlink, Stellar Futures With Cash Settlement

According to CME Group, ADA, LINK and XLM futures went live on February 9, expanding coverage to over 75% of crypto market capitalization, as the exchange reports record 2025 crypto derivatives volumes.

ADA
LINK
XLM

Fact Check
Multiple primary and authoritative CME Group sources—including the official press release section, product announcements, and a CME-authored article—directly confirm that CME Group announced plans to list cash-settled futures contracts for Cardano, Chainlink, and Stellar. These are primary confirmations from the company’s own investor relations and official publications, indicating a genuine and verified announcement. Supporting materials across the CME website are consistent, and no credible contradictory evidence is present among the listed sources. Less relevant or unrelated pages do not detract from the clear corroboration found in CME’s primary official sections. Therefore, the statement that CME Group announced these futures listings is almost certainly true, with a high degree of confidence.
Summary

CME Group announced in an official blog post that futures on Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK), and Stellar (XLM) went live on February 9, offering both standard and micro contracts with cash settlement. The contracts reference CME CF Reference Rates and expand CME’s crypto lineup to seven assets, representing over 75% of total cryptocurrency market capitalization according to the company. Initial trades saw LINK and XLM transacted between FalconX and Marex, while ADA trades were executed between Cumberland DRW and Wintermute. CME also confirmed plans to launch Nasdaq CME Crypto Index futures on March 16, pending regulatory approval. The company reported that its crypto derivatives business reached a record average daily volume of 278,300 contracts in 2025, equivalent to approximately $12 billion in daily notional value, alongside rising open interest.

Terms & Concepts
  • Futures: Standardized derivatives contracts that obligate parties to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price on a specified future date.
  • Cash settlement: A settlement method where gains or losses are paid in cash rather than delivering the underlying cryptocurrency.
  • CME CF Reference Rates: Benchmark pricing indices used by CME to determine the settlement value of its cryptocurrency futures contracts.