Decentralized perpetual trading platform Lighter saw its native token LIT rise nearly 10% in early U.S. trading.
This follows news that it has signed a major revenue sharing agreement with USDC issuer Circle.
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Writer signs $920 million USDC revenue sharing agreement with Circle – A win for DeFi traders
LIT, the powering token of the Lighter ecosystem, surged nearly 10% on the news, trading at 1.46% on the news.
The deal covers approximately $920 million in USDC deposits on Writer’s platform and marks a significant milestone for the young DeFi exchange.
Under the partnership, interest income earned from Circle’s USDC reserves will be shared between Circle and Lighter.
This is in line with a broader revenue-sharing model that Circle has previously implemented with major exchanges such as Coinbase and Bybit.
For writers, this transaction provides a quick and capital-efficient path to grow revenue engines, incentivize fund users, and support platform features such as funding rate rebates and rewards programs.
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Unlike some of its competitors, Lighter chose to rely on USDC rather than launch its own stablecoin.
For example, Hyperliquid introduced its native stablecoin USDH in late 2025 after a competitive governance auction. The move drained billions of dollars in deposits and yield from Circle and other stablecoin issuers.
This allowed Hyperliquid to generate revenue internally and reduce the risk of centralization, but required significant capital and infrastructure investment.
Lighter leverages Circle partnership to drive adoption, liquidity and sentiment for LIT token
In contrast, Lighter’s approach allows the platform to directly leverage Circle’s established reserves while continuing to benefit from shared revenue.
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This will accelerate adoption by leveraging Circle’s USDC ecosystem, allowing Lighter to scale more efficiently while delivering value to traders and token holders.
This transaction represents a potential win-win scenario.
Circle stands to benefit by locking large amounts of USDC onto growing DeFi platforms and driving adoption and distribution. Lighter can gain access to a stable revenue stream, strengthen platform sustainability, increase liquidity, and increase user engagement.
Going forward, there will be interest in on-chain USDC flows into lighter contracts as they may show early signs of the contract’s impact on liquidity and token sentiment.
Lighter is gaining traction in the DeFi perpetual market due to increased trading volumes, loyalty points program, and community engagement.
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The listing of the token on popular platforms like Robinhood has also contributed to the rise in bullish sentiment.
The revenue sharing announcement is expected to boost confidence, perhaps even more than during the LIT token event in December.
Nevertheless, we cannot forget past controversies surrounding the writer, including allegations of secret token sales.
Official details regarding the exact split of USDC interests have not yet been disclosed, but even a conservative arrangement could provide a meaningful boost to LIT holders.
A revenue sharing agreement of this size can change quickly, so crypto investors are advised to monitor announcements from both the writer and Circle to stay informed.
