CME Group to Roll Out XRP Futures on May 19, Pending Regulatory Approval

• CME Group will launch XRP futures on May 19 if it receives the required regulatory approval.
• Traders can choose between two XRP futures contract sizes based on their trading strategy.
• Robinhood will offer access to CME XRP futures to help retail investors enter the crypto futures market.

CME Group has confirmed it will introduce XRP futures contracts starting May 19, subject to regulatory clearance. The company confirmed the news through its official press release on April 24. 

These contracts will settle in cash as they use the CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate to determine the final value. Users can access the XRP price through a daily exchange rate at 4:00 p.m. London time that measures XRP in relation to U.S. dollars.

The new offering will include two contract sizes. Traders can choose between a micro-sized 2,500 XRP contract or a 50,000 XRP contract. CME stated this will give participants more flexibility in managing their digital asset exposure. 

XRP Joins Growing List of Crypto Futures

XRP futures will join the cryptocurrency derivatives lineup maintained by CME Group. The platform now enables trading of futures and options for Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana. The recent addition of Solana derivatives reflects the platform’s ongoing expansion strategy.

CME Group experienced significant growth in trading volume and open interest activity throughout the first quarter of 2025. The trading volume exceeded 198,000 contracts which amounted to $11.3 billion per day. The company achieved a trading volume boost of 141% since the beginning of 2025 when compared to Q1 data for 2024.

Open interest also climbed, averaging 251,000 contracts valued at $21.8 billion. This marked an 83% rise from the previous year. The spike indicated rising market demand for crypto-based derivatives. Since March 17, Solana futures have traded 43,000 contracts, worth about $705 million.

Retail Access Expands Through Robinhood Partnership

XRP futures aim to meet the growing demand for regulated products in the crypto space. XRP along with its blockchain technology XRPL gained attention according to observations made by CME Group. Both retail and institutional investors demonstrate growing interest in XRP products.

The XRP futures launch by CME Group stems from its mission to make regulated trading products more accessible to traders. The system aims to provide clients with efficient instruments for hedge exposure to volatile assets. The firm noted that regulated markets are essential for reducing risk while expanding access.

Robinhood will support the distribution of these futures contracts. The retail brokerage plans to make XRP futures available to its users upon launch. This collaboration may increase retail access to futures markets previously dominated by institutions.

Mobile Trading to Mirror Institutional Tools

Robinhood users will gain access to 40 futures products through the firm’s mobile trading platform. This feature allows retail investors to execute trades using a ladder-based interface. 

CME Group emphasized that the partnership aligns with broader efforts to make derivatives trading more accessible to retail participants. The firm expects the XRP product to generate strong activity on launch day.