An Ethereum zk-rollup versus a Solana-native venue: Lighter's live token and audits against Pacifica's points programme, unified spot margin and self-funded team.
At a glance
Higher 24h volume
LiLighter
$1.57B
Lower taker fee
LiLighter
0%
Deeper liquidity (TVL)
LiLighter
$749.2M
Longer track record
Roughly even
2025 vs 2025
dexwatch score
LiLighter
88/100
Full comparison
Every figure is a dated snapshot from public sources (Oct 10, 2026); fields without a verifiable source show n/a. “Best” marks the stronger value in a row — higher volume or liquidity, lower fees, longer track record. Max leverage is shown as information, not a positive.
LIT launched on 30 December 2025 with a 25% airdrop; the points programme that preceded it is over. Since July 2026 a separate Lighter instance powers perps inside Robinhood Wallet on Robinhood Chain.
✓Zero maker and taker fees on standard accounts — among the cheapest venues anywhere
✓Verifiable zk matching and liquidations, with nine published audit reports
✓Consistently a top-3 decentralized perp venue by volume, with a live, tradable token
✕Zero-fee standard accounts get slower (300 ms) taker execution; premium accounts pay 0.004% / 0.028%
✕L2BEAT flags instant upgradeability and unverified oracle signatures as trust assumptions
PfPacifica
✓Fast and cheap thanks to Solana, with roughly a billion dollars of daily volume
✓Spot trading and unified spot-plus-perp margin were added in 2026
✓Founded by a former FTX COO and self-funded — no VC unlock overhang
✕One published audit (BlockSec, 2025) and a short track record
✕No token; points are not a promise of an airdrop
Lighter vs Pacifica FAQ
Which has higher trading volume, Lighter or Pacifica?
Lighter — about $1.57B in the last 24 hours versus $466.3M on Pacifica. Figures are a dated snapshot (Oct 10, 2026) and move constantly.
Is Lighter or Pacifica cheaper to trade?
Lighter lists the lower headline taker fee (0% versus 0.04%). Your real cost also depends on network gas, maker rebates, spreads and price impact on the size you trade.
Which has deeper liquidity, Lighter or Pacifica?
Lighter holds more total value locked ($749.2M versus $27.0M), a rough proxy for how much size a market can absorb.
Which offers higher leverage, Lighter or Pacifica?
Lighter allows up to 50×, versus 50× on Pacifica. Higher leverage multiplies losses as fast as gains — it is information, not an advantage.
What's the main difference between Lighter and Pacifica?
Lighter is a perp dex on zkLighter (Ethereum L2), Robinhood Chain, while Pacifica is a perp dex on Solana. Match the venue to the chain and assets you actually use.