Telegram Wallet Brings Leveraged Crypto Trading to 150 Million Users Through Lighter Partnership

TLDR

• Telegram’s built-in wallet has added perpetual futures trading via a new integration with decentralized exchange Lighter
• Users can trade with up to 50x leverage across 50+ assets including bitcoin, ether, gold, oil, equities, and ETFs
• The feature targets Telegram’s 150 million+ registered users, focusing on emerging markets
• US and UK users are excluded from the rollout at launch
• Lighter, valued at $1.5 billion, charges no trading fees and will run joint loyalty programs with Wallet in Telegram

Telegram’s built-in crypto wallet has launched perpetual futures trading, letting users open leveraged positions without leaving the messaging app. The feature went live on April 2, 2026.

The integration is powered by Lighter, an Ethereum-based decentralized exchange valued at $1.5 billion following a $68 million fundraise. Lighter currently ranks fourth among decentralized perpetual exchanges by trading volume.

Users can trade more than 50 assets with up to 50x leverage. Those assets include bitcoin, ether, oil, gold, equities, and ETFs. Trades are executed through a custodial wallet built directly into Telegram.

The feature was built by The Open Platform, the company that develops Wallet in Telegram. CEO Andrew Rogozov said the goal is to make trading as simple as sending a message.

Wallet in Telegram has more than 150 million registered users. Many signed up during the tap-to-earn mini-app boom of 2024. The Open Platform is now betting a portion of those users will move into active trading.

Perpetual futures are contracts that let traders bet on price movements with no expiry date. They have become the most traded instrument in crypto. Total decentralized perp volume hit nearly $8 trillion in 2025, with monthly volumes topping $1 trillion in the final four months of the year.

Why Lighter Over Hyperliquid

The Open Platform evaluated three platforms before choosing Lighter: Hyperliquid, Lighter, and Aster. The decision came down to fees, incentives, and audience fit.

Lighter charges no trading fees. Hyperliquid does charge fees and offers deeper liquidity, but Rogozov said the difference is small for retail-sized trades on major pairs.

Hyperliquid, the market leader, has over 200,000 active traders. Lighter is targeting a different, less experienced audience through the Telegram integration.

The deal includes a joint loyalty program. Lighter will sponsor trading incentive seasons where the most active users earn its LIT token. Lighter’s investors include Founders Fund, Ribbit Capital, and Robinhood.

The US and UK are excluded from the launch. The Open Platform is focusing on emerging and frontier markets where traditional brokerage access is limited.

What’s Coming Next

The Open Platform plans to add referral programs, social profit-and-loss sharing inside Telegram chats, and copy trading features. It also plans to introduce AI trading agents that connect to wallets through Telegram bots.

Crypto trading bots on Solana collected $700 million in fees in 2024. TOP wants to replicate that activity inside Telegram using perpetual futures rather than meme coins.

Elsewhere in the space, Bitget Wallet has added Hyperliquid-powered markets offering around-the-clock trading in commodities, equities, and real-world assets onchain.

Lighter has also expanded beyond derivatives in recent months, adding spot trading and 24/5 equity perpetuals to its platform.

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