CFTC chairman reiterates belief that ether futures will be launched

Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) chairman Heath Tarbert remarked Thursday that the crypto market could see the launch of ether (ETH)-based futures contracts.

“We have seen bitcoin futures, both cash-settled as well as physically-delivered. My guess is we are going to see ether futures as well,” Tarbert told Bloomberg in an interview on Thursday.

The chairman first discussed ether futures in October, when he said he “absolutely” believes the futures tied to the ethereum-based token could trade in the next six to 12 months.

Tarbert further said in Thursday's interview that he wants the U.S. "to lead" in the advancement of blockchain technology and digital assets.

“I want to encourage innovation and it's interesting because commodities are what we regulate, particularly derivatives on commodities,” he remarked.

Tarbert reiterated that bitcoin and ether are commodities and fall under the CFTC’s jurisdiction. He said in a past interview that it is "unclear" whether the digital asset XRP is a security or a commodity.