Perpetuals-focused Ethereum-based Layer 2 decentralized exchange Lighter has launched its native token, the Lighter Infrastructure Token (LIT), aiming to align traders, developers and backers as it seeks to bridge traditional markets and decentralized finance.
LIT’s total supply is split evenly between the ecosystem and the team and investors. Half of the tokens are allocated to the ecosystem, including an immediate airdrop for early users that converts 12.5 million points earned in 2025 into LIT. The airdrop accounts for 25% of the project’s fully diluted token supply, with the remaining ecosystem allocation earmarked for future rewards, partnerships and expansion.
The other 50% of the supply is allocated to the team and investors, with 26% assigned to the team and 24% to investors. These tokens are subject to a one-year lockup followed by a three-year linear vesting schedule, Lighter said in a post on X. The token is issued directly by Lighter’s operating entity, which is registered as a U.S. C-corporation.
Lighter said the LIT token is designed to support infrastructure that connects traditional finance and DeFi. “The future of finance lies at the nexus of the traditional financial system and DeFi,” the company said, adding that efficiency, transparency and verifiability will be key to moving value across both systems.
According to a Dune-based data tracker, Lighter-based perpetuals have averaged $2.7 billion in trading volume over the past seven days, ranking third behind Hyperliquid and Aster. Hyperliquid’s HYPE token currently carries a market valuation of about $6.26 billion, making it the world’s 29th-largest digital asset.
LIT is positioned as more than a governance or rewards token. It plays a central role in Lighter’s trading infrastructure, with execution and data verification services offered across multiple tiers that require users to stake increasing amounts of LIT. These staking requirements are designed to scale as the network becomes more decentralized.
Market data providers and users also pay fees in LIT to access pricing data and verification services, with staking intended to help ensure data integrity and support risk management across the platform.
Lighter said revenue generated from its trading platform and future products will be fully transparent and verifiable onchain. The company may deploy that revenue to support ecosystem growth or conduct token buybacks, depending on market conditions and long-term strategy, without committing to a fixed schedule.
