Catenaa, Thursday, March 20, 2025- The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) on Monday (17) began trading Solana futures, a move seen as a key step toward the approval of Solana-based exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
CME Group, the world’s leading derivatives marketplace, introduced futures contracts in two sizes: a micro contract covering 25 SOL and a larger contract covering 500 SOL. The launch signals growing institutional interest in Solana, the sixth-largest blockchain by market capitalization.
“This is a major milestone for Solana and paves the way for eventual SOL ETFs,” Chris Chung, founder of Solana swap platform Titan, said in a statement. VanEck’s head of digital assets research, Matthew Sigel, echoed this sentiment, calling it “one sizable step closer” to an ETF.
The SEC’s decision on Solana ETFs remains uncertain. At least 13 SOL-based exchange-traded products are awaiting regulatory approval, with analysts estimating a 70% chance of approval by the end of 2025.
The SEC’s classification of Solana will play a crucial role in the approval process. If deemed a security, regulatory hurdles could delay ETF launches. Crypto-friendly SEC leadership under the Trump administration, including nominee Paul Atkins, is expected to influence future decisions.
