Lighter, a high-performance decentralized exchange (DEX), has launched the world’s first perpetual futures contracts for South Korean blue-chip stocks, including Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and Hyundai Motor. The Ethereum-based Layer 2 platform now allows global traders to speculate on these cornerstone Asian assets with up to 10x leverage without requiring a traditional brokerage account or direct share ownership.
This move marks a significant pivot for the on-chain derivatives market, which has traditionally been dominated by cryptocurrency-only pairs. By integrating the KOSPI 200 index and major technology stocks, Lighter is effectively bridging the gap between traditional equity markets and the burgeoning Web3 ecosystem.
We are excited to be the first DEX to offer Korean equity perps!
These markets are live at 10X leverage: $HYUNDAI, $SAMSUNG, $SKHYNIX and the $KRCOMP (Korean Composite) index. pic.twitter.com/cJjt9yshDK
— Lighter (@Lighter_xyz) February 11, 2026
On-chain order books meet traditional equities.
Lighter employs a zero-knowledge (ZK) rollup architecture and a central limit order book (CLOB) to replicate the execution speed of centralised exchanges (CEXs). While traditional markets operate within strict geographic and time-based constraints, Lighter’s new equity perpetuals offer 24/5 access during the work week, with plans to expand to 24/7 availability soon. This around-the-clock access allows retail investors in regions with limited access to Korean brokers to gain targeted exposure to Asian markets. Furthermore, the platform utilises a retail-focused model where everyday users are exempt from trading fees, a strategy designed to aggregate high-quality order flow.
Institutional backing and future ecosystem growth.
Lighter, a growing perpetual Decentralized Exchange (DEX) founded by former Citadel trader Vladimir Novakovski, has successfully raised $68 million, valuing the crypto trading protocol at $1.5 billion. Backed by major firms including Robinhood and Founders Fund, Lighter is focused on expanding accessibility through the upcoming launch of a general-purpose ZK-EVM and a dedicated mobile application. While warning of inherent risks like price volatility and smart contract vulnerabilities, Lighter’s successful LIT token generation event (TGE) in late 2025 provided capital for expansion into real-world asset (RWA) tokenization.
Lighter launched its Lighter Infrastructure Token (LIT) with an airdrop, planning to use product revenue for token buybacks. Early data showed Jump Crypto wallets received about 324,000 LIT, likely for market-making, and Coinbase announced potential listing plans post-liquidity thresholds.
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