Ostium Evolves into a 'Decentralized Execution Layer' for Global Markets, Securing Institutional Liquidity from Jump Trading and Others

On April 28, 2026, Ostium, an Arbitrum-based perpetual protocol, announced a major backend overhaul centered on transitioning to a 'decentralized execution layer' for global markets. The core of this overhaul is the integration of off-chain institutional liquidity providers (LPs) such as Jump Trading, with plans to drastically improve market depth and execution quality.

Ostium has already surpassed $33 billion in cumulative trading volume, holding a unique position in the on-chain Real World Asset (RWA) trading field. In particular, it continues to attempt to overcome the limitations of the existing financial system by bringing traditional assets such as commodities and foreign exchange into a non-custodial on-chain environment, and this upgrade technically supports this vision.

This backend overhaul marks a turning point in expanding Ostium's identity from a simple decentralized exchange (DEX) to a robust infrastructure for global market access. The concept of a 'decentralized execution layer' refers to a technical foundation that increases accessibility to global financial assets while ensuring transparency and efficiency of execution through smart contracts. It is designed to efficiently link global market liquidity on-chain beyond simple asset trading.

We decided to build a transparent alternative against the 'old ways' of existing retail brokerages. Ostium is a space where traders can enjoy an institutional-grade trading environment while maintaining direct control over their assets.

The participation of institutional liquidity providers like Jump Trading creates a differentiation from the existing DeFi model that relied solely on on-chain pools. Off-chain LPs provide a tighter order book to reduce slippage and support stable price formation even during large trades, lowering the barrier to entry for institutional investors. This acts as a key element in enhancing the completeness of the 'on-chain CFD' model that Ostium aims for.

Combining Technical Infrastructure with Real-Time Data

Ostium utilizes real-time market data from financial data provider QUODD as a core input for institutional-grade pricing. Additionally, through the AI Copilot feature, it provides users with real-time asset insights rather than cached data at all times, increasing the accuracy of decision-making. This technical sophistication becomes an essential tool for traders in volatile global markets.

• Introduction of a token approval step for partial position closures and improved oracle fee processing
• Separation of the stocks section and addition of a dynamic countdown timer for real-time price reflection when markets are closed
• Optimization of AI Copilot's real-time data display and enhancement of asset insights

The protocol's performance is being proven by numbers. Currently, over 98% of trading activity within Ostium occurs in RWAs such as commodities, indices, and foreign exchange, a figure that overwhelms pure cryptocurrency asset trading. Open Interest has exceeded $23 million, and weekly active users are nearing approximately 2,600, proving the substantial demand for the platform.

These technical advances coincide with the recently completed $24 million Series A funding. Led by General Catalyst and Jump Crypto, with participation from Coinbase Ventures and Wintermute, this investment shows strong institutional confidence in Ostium's business model. Investors are particularly noting how Ostium simplifies the complex intermediary structures of traditional finance on-chain.

Challenging the Traditional CFD Brokerage Model

Ostium directly opposes the traditional Contract for Difference (CFD) model, where asset custody lies with the broker. All trades are conducted in a non-custodial manner, allowing traders to be exposed to global market price fluctuations while maintaining control over assets in their own wallets. This fundamentally blocks opaque fees or asset freezing risks that centralized intermediaries can cause.

Founder Kaledora has continuously emphasized the importance of on-chain infrastructure as an alternative to the existing financial system that lacks transparency. Beyond simply gaining a technical edge, Ostium aims to provide individual traders with a level of transparency and security equivalent to that of institutions. This is expected to act as significant pressure on the existing retail brokerage market, often referred to as the 'old guard.'

Moving forward, Ostium plans to recruit more institutional LPs into the ecosystem, starting with Jump Trading. As the backend overhaul gets into full swing, the expansion of the user base and deepening of liquidity are expected to accelerate, serving as an important momentum for on-chain finance to emerge as a practical competitor to institutional finance. Ostium's move toward a future where all assets in the global market are traded on-chain is drawing attention.