Summary Antarctic Exchange has raised $7 million in a private round that values the company at $70 million. The round was co-led by Valisa Capital Markets and Lucidity Capital Partners, with participation from proprietary trading firms and ultra-high-net-worth derivatives traders from traditional finance, several of them making their first crypto allocation. The capital backs the build-out of a perpetual futures exchange for large retail traders with a CEX-grade trading experience.
Round at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Amount raised | $7 million |
| Valuation | $70 million |
| Structure | SAFE plus token |
| Co-leads | Valisa Capital Markets, Lucidity Capital Partners |
| Other participants | Proprietary trading firms and ultra-high-net-worth derivatives traders from traditional finance |
| Token structuring | Republic Crypto, the token advisory arm of Republic |
Republic Crypto structured the token component and advised on strategy, connecting traditional venture mechanics with token design built for on-chain markets.
A DEX Built by CEX Veterans, for Serious Traders
Antarctic Exchange was founded by former executives from OKX, Binance, MEXC, and other large centralized exchanges. Having seen where centralized venues break down, the leadership team set out to build an exchange that puts the interests of retail traders first.
“We’ve spent years inside the biggest CEXs. We know exactly where they break trust with users. We all trade ourselves, so we know what retail traders need,” said Kai, CEO of Antarctic Exchange. “This raise lets us deliver the product we wish we had ourselves. Features are designed with large retail traders in mind, not market makers.”
Trader Revival Account
Antarctic Exchange launched into a saturated market and has since reached the top 10 of CoinMarketCap’s DEX ranking. A large part of that growth comes from the Trader Revival Account (TRA), which gives a trader a funded account matched to the amount they have previously lost on the exchange. The design gives retail users a second chance after a liquidation caused by unexpected market conditions, and it has become one of the main routes into on-chain derivatives for traders who would otherwise have stopped. Full mechanics, settlement rules, and eligibility are documented in the Trader Revival Account explainer.
“We’re not buying users with airdrops that attract mercenaries. We’re giving real traders their confidence back,” an Antarctic Exchange spokesperson added. “That’s how you build a loyal, lasting community.”
Why Wall Street Derivatives Traders Invested
The round drew deliberately from traditional derivatives markets. Valisa Capital Markets, Lucidity Capital Partners, and the participating UHNW traders all specialize in options, futures, and structured products. For them, Antarctic Exchange is both a first crypto allocation and a position on global trading volume migrating on-chain as the infrastructure matures.
“We have been waiting for a team that speaks our language,” said a Partner at Lucidity Capital. “Antarctic Exchange is the first DEX we’ve seen that truly understands the trader’s experience. This team has the battle scars from running centralized exchanges and the technical depth to make on-chain derivatives the default for the next generation of traders.”
Republic Crypto’s role as token structurer adds a layer of compliance and institutional rigor that DEX launches often lack, and sets the token economy up to meet the expectations of both regulators and institutional participants.
About Antarctic Exchange
Antarctic Exchange is a perpetual futures DEX built for large retail traders. Founded by former executives from top centralized exchanges, the platform combines CEX-grade speed, leverage, and tooling with the self-custody and transparency of on-chain settlement.
Frequently Asked Questions
$7 million, at a valuation of $70 million. The round was structured as a SAFE with a token component.
TRA gives a trader a funded account matched to the amount they have previously lost on Antarctic Exchange, so that a liquidation caused by unexpected market conditions does not end the account. Full mechanics and settlement rules are set out in the Trader Revival Account explainer at https://blog.antarctic.exchange/2026/07/16/trader-revival-account-explained/
No. Fees, margin rules, and account handling are unchanged by the raise. Product changes are always announced through Discord and the documentation before they take effect.
Exchange volume and rankings are published independently on CoinMarketCap at https://coinmarketcap.com/exchanges/antarctic-exchange/ and on DeFiLlama at https://defillama.com/protocol/antarctic
Support
If you have questions about the round or the platform, reach out through our channels:
- Discord: https://discord.com/invite/antarcticexchange
- Documentation: https://docs.antarctic.exchange/
Start trading → https://www.antarctic.exchange/trade/perpetual/btc_usdt
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