Lighter’s LIT tokenomics spark debate as Polymarket bets surge

Lighter has triggered a divided reaction across decentralised finance following the release of tokenomics for its Lighter Infrastructure Token.

The fast-growing perpetual decentralised exchange unveiled a supply structure that splits tokens evenly between the ecosystem and insiders.

Under the model, 50% of LIT’s total supply is allocated to the ecosystem.

The remaining 50% is reserved for the team and investors.

Lighter said insider allocations are subject to a one-year cliff.

Tokens allocated to the team and investors will vest linearly over three years.

The protocol confirmed that 26% of supply is assigned to the team.

A further 24% is allocated to investors.

The team and investors all have a one-year unlock and three-year linear vesting after.

Lighter said.

As part of the launch, Lighter distributed 25% of total supply via an airdrop.

The airdrop was tied to the platform’s first two points seasons.

Those incentive programmes ran throughout 2025.

A total of 12.5 million points were converted into LIT at launch.

The remaining 25% of the ecosystem allocation is reserved for future incentives.

Lighter said future distributions will support partnerships, growth and additional points seasons.

Reaction on social media was sharply divided following the announcement.

Critics argued the 50% insider allocation was excessive for a DeFi-native project.

Some warned such structures often lead to post-launch sell pressure.

Supporters defended the model as necessary to fund long-term infrastructure.

Others said extended vesting reduces the risk of immediate sell-offs.

One community member described the tokenomics as “clean” and utility-focused.

Lighter remains one of the largest perpetual DEXs by volume.

DefiLlama data shows nearly $200 billion in perpetual trading volume over 30 days.

The figure places Lighter ahead of rivals including Hyperliquid and Aster.

Whale behaviour reflected the broader split in sentiment.

Onchain Lens flagged several large leveraged short positions on LIT.

These trades involved millions of dollars betting against the token.

At the same time, Lighter highlighted a dormant whale opening a large long position.

The address increased exposure despite remaining at an unrealised loss.

This suggested conviction beyond short-term speculation.

Speculation extended into prediction markets following the launch.

Polymarket traders wagered more than $70 million on LIT’s valuation.

Most bets priced a high probability of LIT exceeding a $1 billion FDV.

Confidence declined sharply for valuations above $2 billion and $3 billion.

At the time of reporting, Lighter price was $2.72.