Lighter EVM Devnet Adds One-Second Blocks and Core Trading Access
Lighter has launched an EVM development network with one-second blocks, built with Axiom and connected to Lighter Core, its order-matching and risk engine. The Lighter EVM devnet lets developers build smart contracts for applications linked to Lighter’s perpetual futures and spot markets.
Contracts can read account, balance, position, order and market data, create or cancel orders, and transfer assets between the EVM network and Lighter Core. The network supports tools such as Foundry, Hardhat, Viem and Ethers, uses ETH for gas, and has chain ID 19,529 and a 17 million block gas limit. Lighter plans for the EVM network and Core to settle to Ethereum through a single zero-knowledge proof.
The devnet has limitations: L1 finalization currently uses mocked zero-knowledge proofs, asset recovery is not fully functional, and Core data is available only at the latest block. Access is by application, with wider onboarding expected in the coming weeks. This is a development release, not a change to live trading conditions; its longer-term significance depends on developer adoption and the reliability of settlement and recovery.
Neutral
The launch expands Lighter’s development infrastructure but does not directly change live trading, liquidity or market access. The reports identify no immediate token-related catalyst, and the devnet’s application-based access and technical limitations are likely to constrain near-term effects on Lighter-related market activity. If developers adopt the network and its Ethereum settlement and asset-recovery mechanisms prove reliable, it could support broader use of Lighter’s trading products over time. Those potential benefits remain conditional, so the news alone does not provide a strong basis for expecting a directional price move.