Coinbase Launches XRP Futures Contracts After Receiving CFTC Regulatory Approval

Coinbase, the largest US-based crypto exchange, received regulatory approval from the CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) to launch XRP futures contracts through its derivatives arm.

Coinbase, the largest US-based crypto exchange, has received regulatory approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to launch XRP futures.

Coinbase announced its intention to bring regulated XRP futures to market earlier in the month, filing for the offering with the CFTC. The US-based exchange filed to self-certify the product.

“We’re excited to announce that Coinbase Derivatives has filed with the CFTC to self-certify XRP futures—bringing a regulated, capital-efficient way to gain exposure to one of the most liquid digital assets,” Coinbase stated in an earlier announcement.

The firm anticipated the contract going live on Saturday, April 21. During the late hours of the US session on Monday, Coinbase confirmed in a follow-up post that the product was live.

“Coinbase Derivatives, LLC now offers CFTC-regulated futures for XRP,” the exchange stated.

This approval suggests a timely endorsement by the CFTC, potentially opening the door to broader crypto derivatives activity in the US.

Earlier this month, the agency pivoted toward easing entry into the crypto derivatives sector. The CFTC rolled back several regulatory hurdles that had previously deterred traditional and crypto-native firms.

“As stated in today’s withdrawal letter, DCR [Division of Clearing and Risk] determined to withdraw the advisory to ensure that it does not suggest that its regulatory treatment of digital asset derivatives will vary from its treatment of other products,” the CFTC explained.

The changes simplify registration requirements and lower operational barriers for launching crypto derivatives products.

With XRP historically maintaining high liquidity and a global user base, it stands as a strong candidate for derivatives trading, especially in a newly liberalized environment.

Unlike more volatile mid-cap tokens, XRP boasts a combination of legal clarity following the Ripple lawsuit outcome, broad exchange availability, and a sizable market cap—elements attractive to institutional traders seeking capital-efficient exposure.

Moreover, recent on-chain data showcases a sharp uptick in XRP network activity, further bolstering the case for futures. Data from on-chain analytics firm Glassnode shows that XRP active addresses surged by 67.5% between April 19 and 20, ahead of Coinbase Derivatives’ XRP futures debut, climbing from 27,352 to 40,366.

The spike suggests growing engagement from retail and institutional participants, possibly in anticipation of expanded market access through derivatives.

Still, market sentiment around XRP remains mixed. Despite the regulatory milestone, XRP’s spot price has declined 1.26% in the past 24 hours, according to industry data aggregator CoinGecko. This decline suggests that while futures listings can enhance liquidity and price discovery over time, short-term price action often diverges from structural developments.