Bitnomial Launches First-Ever XRP Futures In the US

Bitnomial announced that it will launch an XRP futures contract tomorrow, the first in the US. The announcement comes after the SEC reportedly dropped its landmark lawsuit against Ripple today.

Bitnomial dropped its own suit against the Commission regarding the regulatory status of this offering. An XRP futures contract could help lay the critical groundwork for spot ETF approval.

XRP Futures Contract For US Institutional Traders

Since the SEC dropped its lawsuit against Ripple this morning, the price of XRP has responded very positively. This landmark case carried a lot of implications for the entire crypto industry, and naturally, it’ll have a knock-on effect on other topics.

Case in point, Bitnomial subsequently announced that it will launch an XRP futures contract tomorrow.

“Bitnomial is launching the first-ever CFTC-regulated XRP futures in the US — physically settled for real market impact. Plus, we’ve voluntarily dismissed our case against the SEC as regulatory clarity improves. Current clients have access to XRP futures on March 20, 2025. Prospective clients can onboard with one of our FCM partners,” the firm claimed.

XRP futures are standardized derivative contracts that allow traders to speculate on or hedge against future price movements of the altcoin with physical settlement. They promote market maturity by enhancing liquidity, improving price discovery, and providing a regulated avenue for risk management.

Bitnomial tried to launch an XRP futures contract in 2024, but the SEC blocked the effort. The Commission claimed that these futures contracts would qualify as securities, and Bitnomial sued it to defend its position.

Now, the firm is dropping its suit and will launch these contracts through Botanical, a CFTC-regulated exchange. No SEC involvement is required.

“Crypto derivatives exchange Bitnomial plans to drop its own lawsuit against Wall Street’s top cop after suing the agency in October over its claim that it had jurisdiction over Bitnomial’s planned XRP futures contract,” wrote Eleanor Terrett.

In other words, this looks like a huge win for the XRP community. The SEC has recently signaled that it might allow the CFTC to regulate more crypto products, and it seems like this is starting.

If the SEC continues passing crypto-related financial products to its sister Commission, it could be a very bullish trend.

Notably, the futures contract might also help XRP ETF approval odds. Recently, the SEC delayed several applications to create one, and its status is in limbo.

However, this would be the first XRP futures contract in the US after months of delays. Solana fans are hoping that its own futures contract will improve ETF chances, as it did with BTC and ETH.

Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple, recently spoke in an interview about the SEC case and a few other topics. He explicitly confirmed that Ripple could not overturn a previous ruling against the firm, as it tried to do. He said that Ripple may continue fighting for the right to sell XRP to institutional investors, but he isn’t certain.

Garlinghouse is certain, however, that an XRP ETF will happen soon. He didn’t comment on Bitnomial’s XRP futures contract, but he cited other factors.

“I have immense confidence on the ETF. I think there’s 11 different filings pending with the SEC to launch ETFs. I think those will be live in the second half of this year,” Garlinghouse claimed.

In other words, things are looking good for Ripple supporters overall. The SEC lawsuit is over, and Bitnomial’s new XRP futures contract might help lay the groundwork for an ETF.