MemCast
MemCast / episode / insight
Customers prioritized perpetual contracts over spot, driving Lighter’s product roadmap.
  • The first iteration of Lighter was a spot‑only DEX, but user interviews revealed that most active traders wanted perpetuals.
  • Perpetual contracts enable leveraged positions, which are more attractive for high‑frequency strategies.
  • Lighter pivoted to focus on perps to capture the largest slice of trading demand and accelerate adoption.
  • This decision illustrates the importance of listening to market signals rather than building what seems technically interesting.
Vladimir NovakovskiEmpire00:08:58

Supporting quotes

We actually looked at spot like the very first iteration of what we built was more spot and then just from talking to customers it's like perp it makes sense when you think about it right. Vladimir Novakovski
Most active trading happens with perp. Vladimir Novakovski

From this concept

Product-Market Fit and Perpetual Focus

Lighter's early product decisions were guided by direct customer feedback, which showed that perpetual contracts dominate high-frequency trading. Spot markets are still important, but the bulk of volume and capital efficiency comes from perp trading, shaping Lighter's roadmap.

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