"Moscow Exchange to pursue listing Solana, XRP and Tron futures…expanding crypto derivatives"

Russia’s Moscow Exchange plans to add futures products referencing Solana (SOL), XRP (XRP) and Tron (TRX) as underlying assets. The move would broaden its crypto-derivatives lineup—previously centered on Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH)—to include altcoins.

According to crypto-focused media outlet CoinDesk on the 3rd, the Moscow Exchange will roll out cash-settled futures contracts for Solana, XRP and Tron in stages. The futures will use as the underlying an index that reflects each token’s price, and settlement will be in rubles. Trading will be limited to qualified investors.

Ahead of the futures launch, the exchange plans to calculate official indices for the three tokens first. Under Russian rules, derivatives must be linked to a clearly defined underlying asset, and in this case each token’s index would fill that role.

The Moscow Exchange currently calculates Bitcoin and Ethereum indices and offers monthly cash-settled futures products based on them. The newly introduced altcoin futures will likewise be structured to settle in cash based on the index level without physical delivery.

The outlet added that the Moscow Exchange is also said to be considering launching perpetual futures on Bitcoin and Ethereum. Perpetual futures, which have no expiry date, are widely used derivatives on global crypto exchanges.

Meanwhile, Russia has recently been overhauling its crypto regulatory framework. Authorities are weighing measures to cap individuals’ crypto purchases, and the Bank of Russia has previously presented a new regulatory framework based on investor type.

However, international sanctions imposed since the war in Ukraine have been weighing on Russia’s broader crypto industry. Sanctions cases involving major mining firms and regulatory actions against some overseas exchanges are also cited as factors increasing market uncertainty.