Raydium, one of Solana’s most prominent decentralized exchanges (DEX), has launched perpetual futures trading through a partnership with Orderly Network. This development marks a milestone for Solana’s decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem, introducing its first-ever perpetual futures trading option supported by Orderly’s omnichain liquidity infrastructure.
Raydium’s Leap into Perpetual Futures
Raydium, with over 8.4 million users and 600,000 daily active traders, has established itself as a cornerstone of Solana’s DeFi landscape. Known primarily for spot trading, the platform’s new partnership with Orderly Network represents a significant upgrade. Orderly’s omnichain orderbook aggregates liquidity from 30 exchanges and 73 perpetual contracts, enabling Raydium to offer enhanced efficiency and deeper liquidity.
The new feature allows users to engage in leveraged futures trading, with leverage reaching up to 40x during the beta phase. Ran Yi, Co-Founder of Orderly Network, highlighted the partnership’s importance:
“Combining Raydium’s proven protocol and user interface with Orderly’s liquidity infrastructure provides traders with unparalleled liquidity and more diverse trading options.”
With zero maker fees and competitive taker fees of just 0.025%, Raydium positions itself as a compelling option for traders seeking on-chain leveraged trading opportunities.
Why Perpetual Futures Matter for Solana
Perpetual futures have become a cornerstone of decentralized finance, driving massive trading volumes. According to analytics from Shogun, these contracts account for $650 billion in trading activity and generate $490 million in fees. Platforms like Hyperliquid dominate the sector, holding a 46.3% market share, but Raydium’s entry introduces a strong competitor within the Solana ecosystem.
Historically, Solana has lagged behind Ethereum-based platforms in offering perpetual futures due to liquidity and infrastructure challenges. Raydium’s integration with Orderly Network addresses these limitations by unifying orders across blockchains, reducing spreads, and improving trading precision.
Features of Raydium’s Beta Phase
Raydium’s beta rollout includes more than 70 trading pairs, offering a comprehensive range of options for users. Key features of this phase include:
- Leverage Up to 40x: High-leverage trading to cater to experienced traders.
- Fee Structure: Zero maker fees and competitive taker fees of 0.025%.
- Enhanced Liquidity: Supported by Orderly’s omnichain orderbook.
These updates make Raydium more competitive and align with the growing demand for decentralized, on-chain trading solutions.
The Broader DeFi Picture
Raydium’s move mirrors broader trends within the DeFi space. Decentralized-to-centralized trading volumes now account for 20% of total market activity. This shift highlights a growing preference for decentralized platforms, driven by their transparency and reduced reliance on intermediaries.
Currently, Raydium ranks as Solana’s third-largest DeFi protocol with a total value locked (TVL) of $2.13 billion, following Jito and Jupiter. This position underscores its importance in Solana’s ecosystem and the broader DeFi market.
Competitive Landscape and Future Prospects
Raydium’s entrance into perpetual futures trading signals its intent to rival Ethereum-based platforms and centralized exchanges. With Solana’s fast and low-cost infrastructure, Raydium is well-placed to attract traders seeking efficiency and innovation.
The introduction of perpetual futures trading on Solana not only strengthens Raydium’s position but also signifies a pivotal step in the ecosystem’s maturation. As DeFi continues to evolve, innovations like this are likely to define the next phase of growth.