CME Group announced on January 15, 2026, that it plans to launch futures contracts for Cardano (ADA) and Chainlink (LINK), along with Stellar (XLM/Lumens), expanding its regulated cryptocurrency derivatives offerings.
The launches are scheduled for February 9, 2026, pending regulatory review and approval.This builds on CME’s existing crypto suite, which already includes futures and options for Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, and Solana.
The addition of these altcoins reflects growing institutional demand for regulated tools to manage risk in cryptocurrencies beyond the majors. Cardano (ADA) futures: Standard contract size of 100,000 ADA; Micro contract size of 10,000 ADA. Chainlink (LINK) futures: Standard contract size of 5,000 LINK; Micro contract size of 250 LINK. Stellar (Lumens) futures: Standard contract size of 250,000 Lumens; Micro contract size of 12,500 Lumens.
These micro-sized contracts aim to provide more flexibility, accessibility, and capital efficiency for a broader range of market participants, including retail traders alongside institutions.
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The news highlights it as a step toward greater mainstream adoption and legitimacy for these projects in traditional finance. Stablecoin yield restrictions refer to proposed or existing regulatory limits in the U.S. on whether crypto platforms like exchanges or wallets can pay interest, yield, or rewards to users who hold stablecoins (dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies such as USDC or USDT).
This has become a major flashpoint in ongoing U.S. crypto legislation, particularly in the context of the recent Senate Banking Committee delay of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act often called the Clarity Act or market structure bill around January 15-16, 2026.
The GENIUS Act
Congress passed the GENIUS Act in mid-2025, creating a federal framework for payment stablecoins. It prohibits stablecoin issuers from directly paying interest or yield to holders. The goal was to prevent stablecoins from functioning like bank deposits, which could draw money out of traditional banks and affect lending/credit in the economy.
However, a perceived loophole emerged: While issuers can’t pay yield, intermediaries like Coinbase or other platforms could still share revenue or offer rewards to users holding stablecoins on their platforms. For example, Coinbase has offered around 4-5% APY on USDC holdings in the past, funded by interest earned on the underlying reserves.
The Senate Banking Committee’s draft aimed to close or tighten this loophole as part of broader rules dividing oversight between the SEC (securities) and CFTC (commodities/spot markets). Prohibits crypto companies (exchanges, platforms) from paying interest to consumers solely for holding a stablecoin.
Allows some rewards or incentives for specific activities, such as: Sending payments/transactions. Participating in loyalty programs. Other active uses (not just passive holding). This is seen as a win for banks, which argue that unrestricted stablecoin yields could siphon trillions in deposits reducing funds available for loans, mortgages, and community lending.
Banks via groups like the American Bankers Association lobbied heavily, claiming these “rewards” are effectively interest by another name and create unfair competition outside banking regulations.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong publicly withdrew support on January 14, 2026, calling the provisions one of the “biggest” issues. He argued it would “kill rewards on stablecoins,” erode competition, and let banks “ban their competition.”
Platforms like Coinbase earn significant revenue from stablecoin-related activities, partly from these rewards programs that attract and retain users. Crypto advocates view yield/rewards as a key innovation: It lets users earn on digital dollars similar to high-yield savings but on-chain, promotes adoption, and keeps U.S. stablecoins competitive globally.
Armstrong and others say treating crypto differently harms innovation and economic freedom, especially since banks already pay interest on deposits. Stablecoins with yields threaten the banking system by pulling deposits away, potentially raising borrowing costs and hurting local economies.
This is protectionism; stablecoins offer better, faster, global payments, and users should benefit from yields without artificial restrictions. The markup delay stemmed directly from this tension, plus other issues e.g., tokenized equities, DeFi rules, CFTC vs. SEC authority. Negotiations continue, with potential compromises like narrower activity-based rewards.
If restrictions tighten, it could limit stablecoin growth in the U.S.; if loosened, it might boost adoption but face banking pushback. In short, these restrictions aim to prevent stablecoins from becoming “deposit-like” products that compete directly with banks, while crypto firms fight to preserve user incentives and innovation.
The fight highlights the clash between traditional finance and crypto in shaping America’s digital asset rules.