Decibel launches fully on-chain perpetuals exchange on Aptos, securing $58M funding and strong testnet growth ahead of expansion plans.
Decibel, a fully on-chain perpetual futures exchange, has officially launched its mainnet on the Aptos Labs network. The platform became available on February 26, 2026. Therefore, it is a significant expansion of Aptos decentralized derivatives trading.
Decibel was incubated by Aptos Labs and was built directly on the Aptos blockchain. The exchange has a Central Limit Order Book model. As a result, order placement, matching, settlement and risk management are done completely on-chain.
🔊 @DecibelTrade Mainnet is LIVE!
The onchain trading engine, built on the high-speed rails of Aptos for real-time global value movement, is here. Decibel delivers a unified exchange layer for any asset, any trader, anywhere.
Co-developed by Decibel Foundation & @AptosLabs. pic.twitter.com/gf7R6Vf35V
— Aptos (@Aptos) February 26, 2026
The project released with over $58M in pre-funded capital. According to the report, notably, approximately 40% to 50% of those commitments came from users in Ethereum and Solana ecosystems. Consequently, the launch had cross-chain involvement from the leading crypto communities.
Strong Testnet Demand and Launch Metrics
Before the launch occurred, Decibel had a phase of testing called the testnet that was open to the public. The testnet registered over 700,000 unique accounts. In addition to this it retained 132 000 daily active users.
The platform handled more than 1M transactions a day while testing. Therefore, there was a high demand for decentralized derivatives trading in the early engagement. These numbers show great interest in on-chain perpetual markets.
Decibel raised $58M in deposits before the mainnet launch. This funding ensured early liquidity support. As a result, the exchange started operating with a great deal of trading capacity.
The fundamental system is based on a fully on-chain CLOB architecture. Unlike hybrid exchanges, all the trade functions take place via smart contracts. Therefore, no off-chain matching engine is controlling the execution of order.
The Move programming language is used for the infrastructure. It also takes advantage of the parallel execution engine of Aptos for sub-second finality. As a result, traders benefit with high throughput and faster confirmation speed.
Key Features and On-Chain Design
Decibel presents itself as an institutional grade trading engine. It combines various functionalities of DeFi in one interface. Therefore, users are able to control derivatives and collateral in one platform.
The exchange debuts a protocol-native stablecoin called usDCBL. It is issued by Bridge, one of the subsidiary companies of Stripe. The stablecoin is backed by cash and short-term U.S. Treasurys.
usDCBL is used as the default in trading collateral. In addition, the structure permits the protocol to record reserve yields. This model may open up further revenue streams to the platform.
Decibel also has support for X-Chain Accounts available. Users can fund accounts directly from Aptos, Ethereum, Solana or centralized exchanges. As such, the platform minimizes the need for complex token bridging.
An on-chain risk engine is used to enforce margin rules and liquidations. These processes run with the help of deterministic smart contracts. Therefore, there are no manual or opaque interventions on liquidations.
The exchange features a Decibel Liquidity Pool, which has been developed together with risk management firm Gauntlet. This is the native market-making engine that helps to maintain liquidity and price stability. As a result, traders may benefit from tighter spreads and smoother execution.
Expansion Plans Beyond Derivatives
The Decibel Foundation is planning to add more features throughout 2026. First, it is to introduce the spot market trading in the first half of the year. This addition will complement current perpetual products.
The multi-collateral accounts are also part of the roadmap. Users will be able to use assets such as BTC, ETH, and SOL as collateral in one balance. Therefore, the flexibility of accounts will be greatly increased.
In addition, the platform is looking to incorporate tokenized real-world assets. These may include stock indices and foreign exchange markets. Consequently, Decibel aims to be more than just crypto-native derivatives.
The exchange describes its engine as an integrated trading layer. It strives to support any asset and any trader worldwide. Therefore, the project fits in with the broader goals of combining DeFi and traditional finance.
With the official launch, Decibel enters a competitive derivatives market. However, it’s fully on-chain model and good early metrics might provide advantages. As decentralized finance evolves, platforms such as Decibel are looking to redefine the global trading infrastructure.