Lighter raises $68 million at a $1.5 billion valuation as VC bets flood back into perp DEX infrastructure: report
Lighter, an Ethereum-based trading protocol, raised $68 million at a $1.5 billion valuation amid growing VC interest in decentralized perpetual exchanges.Summary
Lighter, a decentralized exchange (DEX) operating as both an Ethereum Layer 2 network and a platform for perpetual futures contracts, has secured $68 million in funding led by Founders Fund and Ribbit Capital. This investment values the firm at approximately $1.5 billion, reflecting a surge in venture capital activity within the decentralized derivatives market. Lighter aims to combine the performance of centralized exchanges with the security and transparency of a fully decentralized system, utilizing its own Layer 2 infrastructure to minimize fees and ensure auditable trades. The funding comes as perpetual futures trading volumes have exploded on both centralized and decentralized exchanges, with perpetuals now dominating trading activity. VC firms are increasingly focused on infrastructure bets in this space, believing the market is shifting towards product differentiation and recognizing the potential for decentralized platforms to handle institutional liquidity. Lighter plans to expand into spot trading and staking, and will launch a governance and incentive token in the future.
(Source：The Block)