Ethereum Futures on the Horizon
The launch of bitcoin futures on U.S. exchanges Cboe and CME is expected to be a watershed event, introducing a wave of liquidity to the bitcoin ecosystem and transforming bitcoin into a mainstream financial instrument and portfolio asset. However, analysts who follow the industry closely believe that the ripple effect of these futures contracts will spill over into the broader cryptoasset markets.
Source: http://strategiccoin.com/ethereum-futures-will-launch-sooner-than-you-think/
with future, people can bet their money against ETH price, so when ETH price down they gain profit from it
if you have an account in U.S. exchanges Cboe and CME you can do that trade
and also, ripple is number 2, not ETH anymore the second-largest cryptocurrency with its first exposure to the institutional markets