Polymarket bets surge on Lighter airdrop as Hyperliquid lists LIT

cointelegraphPublished on 2025-12-23Last updated on 2025-12-23

Abstract

Lighter, a perpetual decentralized exchange (perp DEX) and rival to Hyperliquid, is generating significant airdrop speculation. A core contributor announced the platform is finalizing its token generation event (TGE), including removing Sybil and wash-trading points from its Season 2 rewards program. Hype intensified when Hyperliquid listed the yet-to-launch LIT token. Lighter opened an airdrop allocation form, allowing users to direct tokens to additional wallets, with submissions accepted until Friday. The transfer of 250 million LIT tokens (25% of supply) further fueled expectations. On prediction market Polymarket, the odds of an airdrop occurring by December 31st have surged to 86%, with $9.5 million in betting volume. Lighter recently raised $68 million in a round led by Founders Fund and Ribbit Capital.

Lighter, a perpetual decentralized exchange (perp DEX) and a major rival to Hyperliquid, is fueling airdrop speculation as Polymarket traders bet on a token launch before year’s end.

Sebas, also known as Babastianj, a core contributor to the Lighter DEX, announced on the project’s Discord channel Monday that the platform is finalizing key processes ahead of the highly anticipated token generation event (TGE).

“We’re in the final stretch of Season 2 and are running data science to remove Sybil, self-trading, and wash-trading points,” he said, adding that all slashed and removed points are planned to be redistributed to the community.

The announcement has fueled growing optimism over Lighter’s airdrop, further amplified with Hyperliquid’s listing of the yet-to-launch Lighter token against USDC (USDC) on Monday.

Lighter’s airdrop allocation form open until Friday

Lighter launched an airdrop allocation form on Sunday, allowing users to direct their tokens to up to four additional wallets.

The optional form lets users allocate different token amounts to each wallet, with submissions accepted through Friday.

“If you do not submit this form and are eligible, the airdrop will be sent to your main Lighter account,” Sebas said on Discord.

Source: Discord

Lighter transferred 250 million LIT tokens — representing 25% of the total supply — on Friday, sparking community speculation that the move signaled an upcoming user airdrop ahead of the TGE, expected by Dec. 31.

Source: Fiyalkin

According to Lighter, its Season 1 points program ended with the final private beta distribution on Sept. 30, while Season 2 points are distributed every Friday.

Related: Hyperliquid says ex-employee responsible for HYPE token shorting

The points are earned by running organic trading strategies via user interface and application programming interface.

Polymarket odds on Lighter airdrop at 86%

Amid rising community anticipation, the odds that Lighter’s airdrop will occur before the end of the year have been climbing on the prediction market Polymarket, with $9.5 million in volume backing bets that it will take place by Dec. 31.

At least 86% of traders have positioned their predictions on a “yes” scenario.

Onchain analyst Andrew 10 GWEI previously suggested that the airdrop would happen by the end of December, using an alleged insider bet proof on Polymarket.

Source: Polymarket

The news follows Lighter’s $68 million fundraising round announced in November, led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and fintech investor Ribbit Capital, shortly after the platform launched its public mainnet in October.

Related: Coinbase opens Solana DEX access as CeFi and DeFi converge

Founded in 2022 by tech entrepreneur Vladimir Novakovski, Lighter has emerged as a key competitor in the perpetual decentralized exchange market, ranking as the second-largest perp DEX after Hyperliquid at the time of publication, according to DefiLlama data.

In mid-December, major US cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase added Lighter to its listing roadmap, signaling a potential future listing of the token, which has yet to be generated.

Related Questions

QWhat is the current probability on Polymarket that Lighter's airdrop will occur before the end of the year?

AThe current probability on Polymarket is 86%, with $9.5 million in volume backing bets that the airdrop will take place by December 31st.

QWhat action did Hyperliquid take that amplified the speculation around Lighter's token?

AHyperliquid listed the yet-to-launch Lighter token (LIT) against USDC on Monday, which amplified the growing optimism over the airdrop.

QWhat is the purpose of the airdrop allocation form that Lighter launched, and until when is it open?

AThe optional airdrop allocation form allows eligible users to direct their tokens to up to four additional wallets, with different amounts for each. Submissions are accepted through Friday.

QWhat percentage of the total LIT token supply was transferred recently, and what did this action spark in the community?

ALighter transferred 250 million LIT tokens, representing 25% of the total supply. This sparked community speculation that it signaled an upcoming user airdrop ahead of the Token Generation Event (TGE).

QWho led Lighter's recent $68 million fundraising round?

AThe $68 million fundraising round was led by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund and fintech investor Ribbit Capital.

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