Digital asset prime dealer FalconX has executed the first-ever block commerce for CME Group’s Solana futures, with monetary companies agency StoneX appearing because the counterparty.
The transaction was accomplished only a day earlier than the official launch of SOL futures on March 17, in keeping with a Sunday press release.
FalconX, primarily based in San Mateo, California, executed the commerce to facilitate institutional buyers’ capacity to handle danger and value publicity on a regulated platform.
“This commerce represents a big step in offering liquidity and hedging alternatives for institutional shoppers,” stated Josh Barkhordar, head of U.S. gross sales at FalconX, in an announcement.
Block Trades Facilitate Giant-Scale Transactions With out Market Disruptions
Block trades discuss with giant, privately negotiated transactions executed outdoors the open market to stop main value disruptions.
These trades are generally utilized in derivatives markets to make sure easy execution for large-volume contributors.
CME Group launched Solana futures in late February in response to rising institutional demand for publicity to the asset.
The brand new derivatives are additionally seen as a possible stepping stone to a Solana exchange-traded fund (ETF), just like the pathway adopted by Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Futures markets for each belongings performed a important function within the lead-up to identify ETF approvals.
A number of asset managers have already submitted functions to the U.S. Securities and Trade Fee (SEC) to launch Solana ETFs.
Franklin Templeton, managing over $1.5 trillion in belongings, filed its utility in February 2025.
Different corporations, together with Grayscale, 21Shares, Bitwise, VanEck, and Canary Capital, have additionally moved to ascertain spot Solana ETFs.
CME’s Solana futures contracts are available two sizes: commonplace contracts representing 500 SOL and micro contracts masking 25 SOL.
The contracts are cash-settled primarily based on the CME CF Solana-Greenback Reference Price, which is calculated day by day at 4:00 p.m. London time.
This pricing mechanism supplies a clear benchmark for SOL’s worth in U.S. {dollars}.
FalconX stays a key liquidity supplier in CME’s crypto derivatives ecosystem.
The corporate experiences having executed over $1.5 trillion in buying and selling quantity throughout greater than 400 tokens for round 600 institutional shoppers.
It has additionally expanded its institutional presence by means of acquisitions and partnerships.
FalconX Expands Institutional Presence
In January 2025, FalconX acquired derivatives trading firm Arbelos Markets, adopted by a partnership with TP ICAP’s Fusion Digital Belongings in February 2024.
Final yr, the agency also unveiled a prime brokerage service designed to facilitate institutional buyers’ buying and selling actions on exchanges whereas their funds stay securely held in regulated, bankruptcy-remote custody.
In the meantime, CME Group experiences continued progress in its crypto derivatives market.
The typical day by day quantity for crypto contracts reached 202,000 in early 2025, marking a 73% enhance year-over-year.
Open curiosity has additionally surged, with 243,600 contracts recorded—up 55% from the earlier yr. Greater than 11,300 distinctive accounts are actively buying and selling CME’s crypto merchandise.
On centralized crypto exchanges, Solana derivatives have seen a pointy rise in buying and selling exercise, with volumes surging 66% to $7.24 billion, in keeping with Coinglass.
Regardless of this, the asset stays underneath strain, buying and selling at $127, down 6.4% on the day, following its January excessive close to $293.31, as per CoinGecko knowledge.
The put up FalconX Executes First-Ever Block Trade for CME Solana Futures with StoneX Ahead of Launch appeared first on Cryptonews.
