Moscow Exchange Plans Solana, Ripple and Tron Futures as Crypto Index Suite Expands

The Moscow Exchange (MOEX) is preparing to broaden its suite of cryptocurrency products in 2026 by launching new futures contracts tied to major digital assets including Solana (SOL), Ripple (XRP) and Tron (TRX), according to an executive interview with RBC.

The exchange, which already calculates and trades futures on its Bitcoin and Ethereum indices revealed plans to introduce three new crypto indices reflecting price dynamics for Solana, Ripple and Tron — and subsequently offer futures contracts based on each of these benchmarks.

Maria Silkina, Chief Manager of the Derivatives Product Group at the Moscow Exchange, told RBC in the “Investment Hour” program that expanding the exchange’s crypto pairings is a priority for the coming year, starting with some of the “top names” in the market.

“During this year we will be expanding pairs and probably the top names that will definitely be among the first are Solana, Ripple and Tron… after that we will see how it goes,” Silkina said.

Index Foundation Crucial to Futures Launch

Silkina stressed that futures contracts on crypto assets require underlying indices as a reference price, explaining that futures cannot exist without clearly defined and published benchmarks.

Currently MOEX calculates indices for Bitcoin and Ethereum in accordance with a transparent methodology available on its website, and futures related to those indices are actively traded on the derivatives market.

“We are developing MOEX crypto indices, we calculate them according to methodology, they are disclosed on the website. A future cannot be launched without a base asset. Naturally, indices must appear, they must be calculated and published, and only after that can the future appear. Otherwise, a future cannot exist,” Silkina explained.

The proposed new futures contracts will be cash-settled — like the existing Bitcoin and Ethereum contracts — meaning they do not involve physical delivery of the underlying cryptocurrency, in line with current Bank of Russia regulations.

These cash-settled contracts will expire monthly and follow the same design framework as the BTC and ETH futures already available.

Per current Russian law, derivatives tied to cryptocurrency indices on the Moscow Exchange will only be accessible to qualified investors.

Perpetual Futures and Options Under Consideration

In addition to the new index futures, the exchange is evaluating the introduction of perpetual futures — one-day contracts that automatically roll over — for the major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Silkina confirmed that after broadening the range of futures pairs, the exchange also plans to introduce perpetual futures and options on the same indices.

“After expanding the lineup of futures to other pairs, we also plan perpetual futures and options. But all this will be added gradually. The perpetual future will be on the same index that currently has a monthly future,” Silkina said.

The development marks another step by one of Russia’s largest financial markets towards institutionalizing crypto derivatives trading within existing regulatory frameworks, offering professional traders and institutions more tools for exposure, hedging and price discovery in digital assets.

Russia Limits Crypto Buyers to $4,000 Annually

Russia’s State Duma also plans to finalize legislation by July 1, 2026, establishing a two-tier crypto access system that caps non-qualified investors at 300,000 rubles ($4,000) annually while granting unlimited purchasing power to qualified investors, according to Anatoly Aksakov, head of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets, in an interview with Parlamentskaya Gazeta.

The framework, based on the Bank of Russia’s December concept submitted to the government, treats digital currencies and stablecoins as tradable currency assets while maintaining their prohibition for domestic payments.