Just In: Volatility Shares To Launch First 1x XRP Futures ETF Tomorrow

Volatility Shares is preparing to launch the first-ever 1x XRP futures ETF on May 22. The new product, trading under the ticker “XRPI,” will mark the first single exposure XRP futures ETF in the United States.

Volatility Shares XRP Futures ETF Launch

According to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas, Volatility Shares will introduce the XRPI ETF, offering 1x exposure to XRP futures. Balchunas noted on social media that, while a 2x leveraged XRP futures ETF already exists, this will be the first ETF to offer unleveraged exposure.

“The existing 2x XRP ETF has $120 million in assets under management and trades around $35 million daily,” Balchunas posted. These figures reflect growing demand for XRP-based investment products and suggest that the XRPI launch could attract substantial interest from both retail and institutional investors.

The 1x product is expected to appeal to investors seeking less volatility than what leveraged products offer.

SEC Postpones Decision on Spot XRP ETF Applications

While futures-based products are moving forward, regulatory progress on spot XRP ETFs remains slow. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently postponed its decision on two separate spot XRP ETF proposals. These applications were filed by asset managers 21Shares and Franklin Templeton.

The revised deadline for the SEC’s decision is now set for June 17, 2025. The delay adds to a series of extensions related to crypto-linked spot ETFs, as the regulatory body continues to review potential risks and market readiness.

Despite the delay, optimism around approval has grown, with prediction market Polymarket showing over 80% of traders expecting a spot ETF to gain approval sometime in 2025.

Teucrium and CME Expand XRP Derivative Offerings

Institutional interest in XRP-related products continues to grow. The Teucrium 2x XRP ETF, which offers leveraged exposure to XRP price movements, has gathered over $106 million in assets under management. This indicates demand for exposure to XRP in structured financial products.

In a separate development, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) has launched XRP futures contracts. These contracts are cash-settled and benchmarked to the CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate.

On the first day of trading, CME recorded more than $2.4 million in combined volume across standard and micro XRP contracts. Updated figures from analyst Chad Steingraber show that trading volume has reached $19 million.

XRP Price Trend Amid ETF Optimism

As of today, XRP price is holding the $2.25 price level, having recently bounced from the macro .382 Fibonacci level. Analysts say the $2.25 support is critical for maintaining the current bullish market structure. Concurrent with the price trend, a large whale has moved 236,982,972 XRP ($567m) from Kraken to an unknown wallet stirring worries about the potential price trend.

According to market analyst CasiTrades, “XRP continues to hold strong within bullish correction territory… the macro .5 retracement at $1.90 was cleanly respected.” However, resistance remains around $2.375, which could lead to another test of the $2.25 support zone.

Despite strong technical support, XRP price has not yet broken above macro resistance at $2.69. Until that happens, potential downside targets as low as $1.50 remain in view, based on Elliott Wave analysis models.