DeFi Perpetual Futures Volume Tops $1T, On-Chain Trading Booms

Decentralized perpetual futures trading volume crossed $1 trillion in October 2025, reaching $1.05 trillion per DeFiLlama and led by Hyperliquid ($317 billion), Aster ($255 billion) and Lighter ($178 billion). Daily turnover peaked at $78 billion on October 10 and averaged $45.7 billion, while open interest hit $16 billion. Growth was driven by Bitcoin’s realized volatility above 45% and over $1.25 trillion in stablecoin liquidity. Layer-1 and Layer-2 platforms cut trade costs to under $0.01 versus $20–$45 fees on centralized venues. On-chain settlement upgrades like MetaMask integration and optimized liquidity pools reduced slippage. Experts forecast full-month volumes could reach $1.3 trillion. This surge underscores DeFi’s maturation in crypto derivatives, signals further institutional and retail adoption, and highlights potential on-chain collateral posting for long-term market resilience.
Bullish
The surge past $1 trillion in DeFi perpetual futures volume, combined with record daily turnover and open interest, signals stronger liquidity and adoption in on-chain derivatives. Reduced fees, faster execution and on-chain settlement improvements lower trading barriers, attracting both retail and institutional flows. Assurances of ongoing innovations—such as collateral posting—support sustained growth. Historically, rapid volume expansion in DeFi perps correlates with positive price momentum for underlying assets, particularly BTC. As more capital shifts on-chain, market depth and resilience improve, reinforcing a bullish outlook in both the short and long term.