XRP Token Futures Set to Launch on CME May 19 – Is an ETF Next?

Today, some positive XRP news stories can help the current bearish market sentiment. The first important news is that a well-known player in the crypto market is launching its XRP futures sector. Another important development is the explosive surge in the on-chain statistics of the XRP token. Such positive news stories are a necessity for the current market, as XRP is recording its second day of bearish movement. XRP price is following the general crypto market trend, as a market-wide decline started after the recent surge.

Is the CME XRP Futures Launch a Turning Point?

The official X page of the CME Group has announced a major development for the market and this firm. The CME will be launching its XRP futures trading services on May 19. The reports also specified that these contracts will be presented in both micro and large quantities, going from 2,500 XRP to 50,000 XRP. XRP can benefit from CME Group’s launch of its Futures services. First is the increase in liquidity, as each platform brings new users and new investors to the XRP. Adding to this, with the CME group treating the XRP token like a commodity, investors can soon expect the approval of XRP ETFs.

Starting May 19, trade regulated, capital-efficient futures on XRP, available in larger- and micro-sized contracts, so you can scale your exposure with greater precision and flexibility.

More on XRP futures ➡️ https://t.co/SzDtBmkG7r pic.twitter.com/BDJRzYSvTd

— CME Group (@CMEGroup) April 24, 2025

XRP futures contracts will enable traders to bet on the future XRP price movement, gaining or losing, based on this contract. This means that investors can invest and speculate on XRP without actually owning any tokens. With these contracts, trades, and institutional investors that are not comfortable with buying XRP, they could also be involved in this market. CME Group is known as the biggest derivatives exchange, making this development very important for the future of XRP. Adding to the significance of its user base, this listing also comes with more legitimacy and visibility for XRP derivatives. 

What does a 600% Surge in Activity mean for the Price?

Based on the reports, the CME Group has been looking to list futures for a few months now. This is because the firm hinted at the possibility of XRP and Solana’s future contract listings in January. However, CME Group was waiting for the approval first before announcing anything. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse has also commented on this development: “While overdue in a bunch of ways, this is an incredibly important and exciting step in the continued growth of the XRP market!” As more industry giants step towards XRP token inclusion, there is hope that soon there will be XRP ETFs.

In another important XRP news, the market data shows that XRP on-chain activity has surged significantly in the past 4 days. Based on the statistics, the network payment volume and transaction numbers have increased by nearly 600%. In the last 24 hours, the payment volume from account to account has also surged as high as 838 million XRP. 11.7 million transactions have been recorded in the same timeframe, showing a significant increase when compared to the start of the month. Such a surge has also led to XRP price movement to reach an attempted breakout of the descending channel for the asset. 

Will XRP Reclaim the $2.25 or Is a Deeper Correction Ahead?

In the most recent market rally, the XRP price went as high as $2.25. This, however, came to an end when the correction started sending XRP back to the $2.18 level. Following such volatility, the market shows a consolidation trend that might be starting. This is very likely, as the candlestick patterns show that neither bulls nor bears are controlling the market. However, the price action is creating higher lows, which can lead to an upward price movement. 

XRP/USD Daily chart, published on TradingView, April 25, 2025

According to the XRP/USD Daily chart, the RSI stands at the 47 level. This is a lower score of the signal line, which is standing near 52, indicating that the market is bearish. The RSI can be seen to go into the overbought territory during the market rally. As seen, this led to a downward reversal as the market collapsed. The ADX reading is below 20, standing at 14, which presents a very weak price trend. This reaffirms that the price action will be experiencing a consolidation period. 

Could Futures Push XRP Toward a Major Breakout?

Today’s CEM Group’s news is not the only recent development regarding the XRP futures. Coinbase has also recently added these contracts to its services after getting the CFTC’s approval. As such, the CME group is also set to receive this approval soon. This recent surge of important crypto players going towards Ripple could be the result of the upcoming agreement between XRP and the SEC.