CME to Launch Nasdaq-Backed Crypto Index Futures June 8

CME Group plans to launch Nasdaq-backed, market-cap-weighted crypto index futures on June 8, subject to completion of the relevant regulatory review. The contracts will be settled in U.S. dollars to the Nasdaq CME Crypto Settlement Price Index and will track bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), Solana (SOL), XRP, Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK) and lumens (XLM).

Both micro and standard contract sizes will be available. The contracts cash-settle to the Nasdaq CME Crypto Settlement Price Index, giving traders and institutions a single derivative for broad exposure to the largest cryptocurrencies by market capitalization rather than requiring multiple single-asset contracts.

Giovanni Vicioso, CME’s global head of cryptocurrency products, called the contracts “a regulated way to gain broad-based exposure to the overall crypto market.” The exchange noted average daily volume across its crypto futures suite is up 43% year-to-date.

Sean Wasserman, head of index product management at Nasdaq, described the futures as “a natural extension of how index-based frameworks support market development over time,” citing demand for benchmarks with governance and transparency standards similar to other asset classes.

The June 8 target replaces an earlier mid-March window. CME first disclosed plans for the Nasdaq CME Crypto Index futures in early March alongside launches of single-name contracts for Cardano, Chainlink and lumens; the mid-March launch did not occur and the new date remains conditional on regulatory clearance.

CME has stated its broader crypto futures suite covers more than three-quarters of total cryptocurrency market capitalization. The addition of a market-cap-weighted index contract is intended to simplify hedging and allocation decisions for market participants. The product will trade on a regulated derivatives exchange and settle to an established index rather than trading on spot crypto venues.