2025-03-18
Solana (SOL) futures started trading on
the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) on March 17, 2,025, marking a step forward in
the cryptocurrency’s mainstream adoption.
In February, CME announced plans to
offer two types of SOL futures:
These are the first regulated Solana
futures available in the U.S., following Coinbase’s launch in February. The
contracts are settled in cash, meaning no actual SOL tokens are exchanged.
First Trading Day Highlights
On March 17, nearly 40,000 SOL worth
around $5 million changed hands. Preliminary data suggests traders may have a
slightly negative outlook on SOL.
CME’s April SOL futures traded at $127
per token, $2 lower than the March contracts. Final trading volume data will be
published the next business day.
On March 16, trading firms FalconX and
StoneX executed the first SOL futures trade on CME.
Chris Chung, founder of Solana-based
swap platform Titan, believes this development increases the chances of a SOL
exchange-traded fund (ETF) being approved soon.
SOL ETF Approval Outlook
Chung expects the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC) to approve Solana ETFs as early as May. Five
companies have applied to launch SOL ETFs, and the SEC has until October 2025
to make a decision.
Analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence
estimate a 70% chance of approval.
Why Futures Matter for ETFs
Futures contracts allow investors to
agree on buying or selling an asset at a future date. They are used for
speculation and risk management by both individuals and institutions.
Futures markets also help support ETFs
by providing a reliable benchmark for asset pricing.
CME already offers futures for Bitcoin
(BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), both of which have approved ETFs in the U.S.
