Lighter leaps into spot trading with Ethereum as it expands DEX offerings Translation: Lighter leaps into spot trading with Ethereum as it expands DEX offerings

The leading exchange in the perpetual contract segment, Lighter, has introduced a feature for spot trading.

The platform has initiated its offerings with the Ethereum market and plans to broaden its range of available assets in the coming days.

In October, Lighter launched its mainnet based on the EVM Layer 2 solution. By November, the trading volume on the exchange surpassed $295 billion, positioning it at the forefront of the perp-DEX market, ahead of Aster on the BNB Chain and Hyperliquid utilizing its own HyperEVM.

This new functionality is part of Lighter’s expansion strategy. Previously, the exchange added futures for stocks from companies such as Coinbase and Robinhood, introduced certain currency pairs, and announced integration with Chainlink to venture into the Real World Assets (RWA) domain.

Lighter is designed as a specialized ZK-rollup. Its founder, Vladimir Novakowski, a former quantum trader at Citadel, has consistently advocated for the development of Layer 2 solutions specifically optimized for decentralized trading, contrasting with the first-layer strategies of competitors like Hyperliquid.

The core argument emphasizes the reliability and ecosystem strength of Ethereum’s base layer.

In November of this year, Lighter raised $68 million at a valuation of $1.5 billion, with the funding round led by Founders Fund and Ribbit Capital.

Just as in traditional finance, spot trades in the crypto sector represent only a fraction of the overall turnover, where derivatives dominate.

The total trading volume of perpetual futures reached a record $1.2 trillion in October, driven by a market crash and heightened interest in platforms like Lighter and Aster.

Offering both trading types is a common practice. For example, centralized exchanges like Coinbase and Kraken are actively developing their derivatives segments this year.

It’s worth noting that at the end of November, former BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes stated that by the end of 2026, stock prices will be determined by perp-DEX rather than Nasdaq.