Cardano nears SEC futures hurdle for ETF

Cardano is approaching a key regulatory milestone that could strengthen its case for a US spot exchange-traded fund as the cryptocurrency nears the SEC's six-month futures-market requirement.

According to community commentator Mintern, Cardano is expected to satisfy the requirement on August 9 after CME launched regulated ADA futures contracts on February 9.

"Once it crosses that threshold, Cardano will meet a key benchmark,"

Said Mintern, referring to the SEC's Generic Listing Standards for spot crypto ETFs.

Under the framework, digital assets must maintain an active and regulated futures market for at least six months before qualifying for a streamlined ETF review process, making CME's futures offering an important component of Cardano's ETF prospects.

CME has continued expanding support for Cardano derivatives since launch, including introducing round-the-clock trading for ADA futures alongside other digital assets.

The SEC is also reviewing the proposed Grayscale Cardano Trust ETF, with Mintern suggesting a regulatory decision could arrive as early as October 2026.

While Cardano does not yet have a standalone spot ETF, institutional investors already gain exposure through products including the Bitwise 10 Crypto Index ETF and Grayscale's Smart Contract Fund, where ADA remains a core holding despite its weighting falling from 20.2% in February to 15.84%.

At the time of reporting, Cardano price was $0.1709.