CME Group to List Cash‑Settled Single‑Stock Futures; Adds ADA, LINK and XLM Crypto Contracts

Derivatives expansion targets equity hedging demand

CME Group is rolling out a new suite of cash‑settled Single Stock futures aimed at broadening ways for market participants to gain or hedge exposure to U.S. equities without taking physical positions. The planned launch, slated for this summer pending regulatory approvals, targets more than 50 large U.S. stocks drawn from the S&P 500, Nasdaq‑100 and Russell 1000, including names such as Alphabet, Meta, NVIDIA and Tesla.

CME to list cash‑settled Single Stock futures this summer

CME says the financially settled contracts are designed to offer the flexibility, capital efficiency and precision of cash‑settled futures, enabling clients to express directional views, hedge price risk, trade basis and spread strategies, and customise contract size. Tim McCourt, Global Head of Equities, FX and Alternative Products, says the products provide a simpler, more cost‑effective way to take a view on a stock or manage potential price movements without buying shares outright.

The move follows a strong run in equity derivatives activity, with combined futures and options average daily volume reaching 7.4 million contracts and open interest of 9.8 million contracts in 2025. Futures average daily volume is at 6.0 million contracts, up about 15% year‑over‑year, and futures open interest reaches a record 5.6 million contracts, up roughly 19% year‑over‑year, underscoring client demand for listed equity instruments. CME says the Single Stock futures will be listed and cleared under CME rules, leveraging its electronic execution on CME Globex, transparent pricing and central clearing protections; additional product details are available at cmegroup.com/ssf.

Crypto futures broaden CME product slate

Separately, CME is expanding its cryptocurrency futures offering with the start of trading in Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK) and Stellar (XLM) on Feb. 9. CME notes the first LINK and XLM trades execute between FalconX and Marex and the first ADA trade between Cumberland DRW and Wintermute, signalling early institutional participation in newly listed altcoin contracts.

Giovanni Vicioso, Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products, says the listed micro‑ and standard‑sized contracts give investors flexible, capital‑efficient tools to manage exposure and that the additions complement earlier launches such as SOL and XRP. Market participants including Marex, FalconX, Cumberland and Wintermute say the contracts expand the institutional toolkit for hedging, spread trades and long‑short strategies in regulated venues.