CME Group Expands Crypto Derivatives with Avalanche and Sui Futures

CME Group has entered the high-throughput layer-1 trade with the launch of futures contracts on Avalanche (AVAX) and Sui (SUI). The introduction of these new contracts marks a significant expansion of CME's regulated crypto derivatives, which now include Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK), and Stellar (XLM).

The AVAX and SUI futures are available in standard sizes of 5,000 tokens and micro sizes of 500 tokens, respectively. Like CME's other crypto products, these contracts are cash-settled against their respective CME CF Reference Rates, rather than physically settled in tokens.

CME says the new contracts will provide capital-efficient exposure to the underlying networks, allowing traders to hedge spot holdings, run basis trades or express directional views without having to manage custody on offshore exchanges. The introduction of these contracts is seen as a significant step towards mainstream adoption of altcoin derivatives.