Ether Futures Begin Trading Amid Broader Cryptocurrency Appeal

Investors are now able to buy and sell futures based on Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency.

The futures, which begin trading on Chicago’s ErisX exchange Monday, will deliver Ether if held to expiration, meaning investors could use the regulated market to amass a position in the currency. The contracts sprang from a request that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission put out in late 2018 for more information on the Ethereum blockchain network and its Ether digital token.

“We’ve been a proponent for a while that Ether needs a future,” ErisX Chief Executive Officer Tom Chippas said in an interview. “It ...