When Vladimir Novakovski, CEO of perpetuals exchange Lighter, says the Robinhood Chain deal was “12 years in the making,” he’s not being dramatic for effect. The partnership that officially went live with Robinhood Chain’s public mainnet launch on July 1 is rooted in personal and professional relationships that stretch back over a decade, well before either entity was building what they’re building today.
Lighter is now the official perpetuals trading partner on Robinhood’s Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain, built on Arbitrum technology. Eligible users can trade perpetual contracts directly through the Robinhood Wallet, with USDG stablecoin serving as the collateral and quote asset. The revenue model splits earnings evenly, 50/50, between Robinhood and Lighter.
The deal mechanics and what Lighter is putting on the table
Lighter, a zero-knowledge rollup-based perpetuals exchange founded in 2022, isn’t just showing up with technology. The company committed $11 million in its native $LIT token specifically for Robinhood community incentives. The market seemed to like the arrangement. LIT token climbed roughly 15% following the announcement, reaching a price of approximately $2.14. For a project that raised $68 million in a November 2025 funding round at a valuation of around $1.5 billion, the partnership validates its positioning in a crowded perpetuals landscape.
