Institutional investors are pouring into CME Group’s regulated crypto derivatives markets, setting a series of records in futures and options tied to ether. solana and XRP, CME told CoinDesk on Thursday.
Since October 10, open interest in CME’s crypto futures and options has increased 27%, a move the exchange has attributed to the move away from offshore markets following a wave of liquidations last week.
On Tuesday, open interest in ETH futures reached 48,600 contracts – the highest on record – with SOL and XRP futures also hitting all-time highs at 20,700 and 10,100 contracts, respectively.
Options open interest reached $9 billion, another record, underscoring how more traders are using CME products to hedge or speculate with regulated tools rather than offshore options. CME’s micro ether futures ranked second in volume on Tuesday, reflecting a broader swing.
“top 10 [open interest] “There were strong convictions and growing participation in the regulated crypto derivatives market all day in October,” a CME spokesperson said, highlighting the expansion in market participation and growing commitment among professional investors.
The trend is based on CME’s third quarter results, when combined crypto futures and options volume topped $900 billion and average daily open interest reached $31.3 billion. In September, estimated open interest reached $39 billion. Over 1,000 large open interest holders were active during that period, which shows that use of these products is growing beyond a niche circle of traders.
This growth is not limited to Bitcoin or Ether. Since launching earlier this year, CME’s Solana and XRP futures have attracted significant attention. By September, open interest in Solana futures surpassed $2.1 billion, while XRP reached $1.4 billion.