Katana Acquires IDEX to Launch Unified On-Chain Perpetual Futures Platform

Katana has made significant strides in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space by acquiring IDEX, a leading decentralized exchange. This strategic move will enable Katana to consolidate its trading infrastructure and revenue under one stack.

The newly formed partnership brings together the expertise of Katana's development team and the operational history of IDEX, which was launched in 2017 and held the top position among Ethereum-based DEXs by trading volume and transaction count through 2019.

Katana Perps, the unified on-chain perpetual futures and spot trading platform, is now live and backed by prominent market makers including GSR, Selini Capital, and Auros. This collaboration provides traders with access to a range of features such as leveraged trading, directional exposure tools, and integrated liquidity.

The growth of decentralized perpetual futures has been remarkable in recent years, with cumulative trading volume reaching $6.7 trillion in 2025, according to CoinGecko. The market leader, Hyperliquid, accounted for over half of this volume, driven by its widely discussed token airdrop and the increasing demand for real-time price discovery.