Institutions Drive CME Crypto Options to $9B as ETH, SOL, XRP Set Records

Institutional investors are significantly increasing their activity in CME Group's regulated crypto derivatives markets, leading to a 27% jump in open interest across futures and options since October 10. This surge is attributed to a shift away from offshore markets following recent liquidations. Open interest in Ether (ETH) futures reached a record 48,600 contracts on Tuesday, while Solana (SOL) and XRP futures also hit all-time highs of 20,700 and 10,100 contracts, respectively. Options open interest specifically reached a new record of $9 billion, indicating growing reliance on regulated tools for hedging and speculation. CME highlighted that the top ten open interest days all occurred in October, signaling strong conviction and expanding participation among professional investors. This growth extends beyond Bitcoin and Ether, with SOL and XRP futures, launched earlier this year, accumulating significant open interest of $2.1 billion and $1.4 billion by September, respectively.

(Source：CoinDesk)