Without it, the path to a spot ADA ETF stays closed. Cardano’s CME ADA futures launched on February 9, 2026, with contracts covering 10,000 ADA and 100,000 ADA denominations. FAQsWhat is a spot Cardano ETF and how is it different from a futures ETF? A spot ETF holds actual ADA tokens, while a futures ETF holds CME futures contracts that track ADA’s price. Historically, multiple denials preceded eventual approvals — Bitcoin’s spot ETF was denied several times before winning approval in January 2024.