The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME Group) is set to launch regulated futures contracts for Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK), and Stellar (XLM) on February 9, 2026. The derivatives giant announced the expansion of its crypto suite, which will include both standard and micro-sized contracts to cater to different institutional and professional trading profiles.
The standard ADA futures contract will represent 100,000 ADA, while the micro version will cover 10,000 ADA. For Stellar, the standard contract will be 250,000 XLM (micro: 12,500 XLM), and for Chainlink, the standard will be 5,000 LINK (micro: 250 LINK). All new contracts will use the CME CF New York Variant Index for pricing, ensuring transparency. CME stated the launch aims to meet demand from funds that face compliance or regulatory limits preventing direct spot holdings.
In a separate but related development, CME CEO Terry Duffy revealed during a Q4 2026 earnings call that the exchange is considering launching its own proprietary digital token. The token would be designed to function as collateral for crypto derivatives trading, part of a broader initiative to develop blockchain-based settlement tools. Duffy indicated the token would likely be issued on a decentralized network, though no technical details or timeline were provided. He emphasized that tokenized margin from a "systemically important financial institution" would inspire greater trust.
CME is also collaborating with Google Cloud on a separate "tokenized cash" solution involving a depository bank, expected later in 2026. Furthermore, CME plans to introduce 24/7 trading for its crypto futures in Q2 2026, pending regulatory approval, to better align with the non-stop spot crypto markets.
The exchange reported strong institutional demand, with an average daily crypto trading volume of $12 billion in 2025 and $26.4 billion in open interest across its crypto contracts. The upcoming futures launches and token exploration reflect CME's strategy to modernize infrastructure and expand its offerings for institutional clients.
