Lighter Secures $68 Million to Boost DeFi Infrastructure
Decentralised trading platform Lighter has raised $68 million in new funding. The round was led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and fintech specialist Ribbit Capital. Robinhood and Haun Ventures also took part. The deal values Lighter at $1.5 billion.
The raise highlights growing trust in decentralised finance despite a cautious market. It also strengthens confidence in high-speed trading protocols that bridge traditional finance and crypto.
CEO Vladimir Novakovski said the company will use the new funding to improve institutional-grade infrastructure. “This funding will accelerate our mission to deliver secure, high-performance trading solutions for institutional participants,” he stated.
Major Investors Signal Confidence in DeFi
Lighter operates a layer-2 decentralised exchange on Ethereum. It focuses on verifiable matching and liquidations to ensure transparent, high-speed trading.
The latest round follows a $21 million raise led by Haun Ventures and Craft Ventures earlier this year. With this new capital, Lighter’s total funding now nears $90 million.
The participation of Founders Fund and Ribbit Capital signals continued faith in blockchain-based trading systems. Both firms have backed disruptive fintech and crypto ventures in the past. Robinhood’s involvement is also rare and notable. The retail trading platform’s support marks its increasing interest in DeFi technology.
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Institutional Funding Revives Market Optimism
The Lighter funding comes amid renewed interest in decentralised exchanges. Despite global economic uncertainty, venture firms have resumed activity in the crypto market.
Earlier in November, over $1 billion flowed into crypto projects. Ripple Labs raised $500 million. Lava secured $200 million. These developments indicate investors are shifting focus to infrastructure projects with long-term scalability.
A venture capitalist involved in the round said investors now favour firms offering real-world utility. “Platforms with clear technical use and institutional value are getting priority,” the investor said.
The new capital gives Lighter the means to improve scalability. It also enables the firm to advance on-chain transparency and faster trade settlement.
Expanding Market Reach and Performance
Lighter’s exchange processes over 650,000 transactions per second. This performance has drawn comparisons with established DeFi exchanges like Uniswap and Hyperliquid.
Recent reports show the platform recorded $73.77 billion in weekly perpetual trading volume. This surpassed competitors Aster and Hyperliquid. Lighter’s efficiency has positioned it among the fastest-growing decentralised exchanges in 2025.
The company plans to launch spot trading soon. This move could challenge established decentralised exchanges by offering lower latency and transparent order book trading.
Crypto analyst Eugene Bulltime said Lighter’s new spot market could change on-chain trading dynamics. “The AMM model solved early problems,” he said. “But high-frequency traders now prefer transparent order books like Lighter’s.”
Community Airdrop and Future Prospects
Lighter plans a community airdrop in Q4. It will allocate up to 30% of its token supply to early users. The project’s upcoming token generation event has already sparked speculation on Polymarket. Traders are betting on its fully diluted valuation after launch.
Despite the growth, Lighter faces challenges. Regulatory changes in derivatives trading could affect future expansion. Market volatility also remains a risk. Still, the company’s institutional-grade systems and strong backers provide a solid cushion.
Institutional Integration Ahead
Novakovski said the company aims to integrate DeFi systems into traditional financial workflows. He also noted that part of the raise involved token subscription rights alongside equity. This blended approach shows that venture funds are adapting to crypto-native deal structures.
The funding landscape for crypto startups is slowly stabilising after last year’s pullback. While interest rates and regulation remain uncertain, DeFi infrastructure continues to attract selective capital.
The success of Lighter’s raise highlights a clear pattern. Investors are shifting away from speculative projects toward scalable, transparent infrastructure. This signals a more mature phase for the digital asset market.
To stay updated on crypto venture capital funding and market trends, visit our venture capital news section for more insight.
