CME Group to launch Nasdaq crypto index futures in June

Traders Union
All News
Crypto
CME Nasdaq crypto index futures

Highlights

CME Group will launch Nasdaq CME Crypto Index futures in June, offering market-cap weighted exposure to seven major cryptocurrencies with cash settlement.
CME reports average daily trading volume in its cryptocurrency derivatives up 43% year-to-date, highlighting rising institutional interest in regulated crypto markets.
U.S. retail crypto perpetual futures access remains limited, though CFTC Chair Michael Selig indicated in March that regulatory work may soon allow such products domestically.

Index launch expands regulated crypto offering

As announced by CME Group on Thursday and reported by Cointelegraph, the Nasdaq CME Crypto Index futures will track a market-cap weighted basket of the largest and most actively traded cryptocurrencies. Nasdaq and CME say the contract is designed to give market participants exposure to seven digital assets in a single instrument, with settlement in cash based on the index reference price at expiration.

The launch marks CME's first market-cap weighted crypto futures product. The exchange says average daily trading volume across its cryptocurrency derivatives products has increased 43% year-to-date, reflecting stronger institutional participation in regulated crypto markets.

Earlier this month, CME introduced Bitcoin volatility futures, a regulated instrument tied to expected Bitcoin market volatility over a 30-day period. The latest product adds to a broader push by exchanges to widen the range of listed crypto derivatives beyond Bitcoin and Ether.

Broader derivatives competition builds across crypto markets

Crypto exchanges and trading platforms are increasingly adding derivatives linked to both digital assets and traditional financial products. In February, Kraken began offering perpetual contracts for tokenized stocks and commodities, while Coinbase launched perpetual futures for U.S. stocks and indexes for users outside the U.S. the following month.

In April, Blockchain.com added perpetual futures trading to its self-custody wallet through Hyperliquid, allowing users to trade leveraged crypto positions directly using self-custodial Bitcoin as collateral. Prediction market platform Kalshi is also reported to be preparing a move into crypto perpetual futures.

Retail access in the U.S. remains limited for most cryptocurrency perpetual futures products, as regulatory uncertainty has historically pushed much of the market offshore. FOW reported that CFTC Chair Michael Selig said in March that the agency is working toward allowing true perpetual futures in the country within the next month or so.

Our earlier coverage of the Senate Banking Committee’s debate over the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025 focused on Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s objections that the bill could weaken investor protections and increase consumer, financial-system, and national-security risks. She also criticized the lack of public hearings and the blocking of proposed amendments, including measures targeting money laundering and banking safeguards as Congress weighs how to structure oversight of crypto markets.

This material may contain third-party opinions, none of the data and information on this webpage constitutes investment advice according to our Disclaimer. While we adhere to strict Editorial Integrity, this post may contain references to products from our partners.