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Editorial policyAvantis is a decentralized perpetuals exchange on the Base network offering high-leverage trading for crypto assets and tokenized Real-World Assets (RWAs) such as FX, commodities, and equities, backed by a USDC vault and the fixed-supply AVNT token. It aims to bring institutional-style leverage to DeFi with on-chain RWAs.
Quick answer
Avantis is a decentralized perpetuals exchange on the Base network offering high-leverage trading for crypto assets and tokenized Real-World Assets (RWAs) such as FX, commodities, and equities, backed by a USDC vault and the fixed-supply AVNT token.
Avantis is a decentralized exchange for perpetual contracts deployed on the Base blockchain. The protocol focuses on enabling leveraged trading across a broad spectrum of assets, including cryptocurrencies and tokenized Real-World Assets like foreign exchange, commodities, and equities.
Avantis functions as a DeFi protocol intended to serve as a universal leverage layer for global markets, allowing on-chain traders to speculate on both crypto-native assets and traditional financial instruments on a permissionless platform. Its design seeks to blend institutional-grade financial product mechanics with DeFi infrastructure, supporting long or short bets on synthetic assets with substantial leverage. At the core is a liquidity vault, largely backed by USDC, that acts as the counterparty for all trades, creating a capital-efficient environment where liquidity providers earn fees based on activity.
The project is governed by the Avantis Foundation, based in the Cayman Islands, which contracts third-party providers for ongoing development and upkeep. The team is described as a collective of engineers and designers with backgrounds at firms including Binance and Quantopian. Long-term ambitions include adding asset classes such as sports bets and prediction markets, positioning Avantis as a comprehensive on-chain hub for leveraged trading. The mascot is a leopard named Vanta, and the community is commonly referred to as the "Vanta Gang."
The project’s public evolution began in January 2023 with the creation of its official X (formerly Twitter) account. It gained notable momentum in early 2024, with data indicating a marked rise in trading volume and protocol revenue starting in February 2024. By September 2025, Avantis reported over $20 billion in cumulative trading volume and a run-rate revenue exceeding $15 million.
September 2025 marked a sequence of milestones: the AVNT native token launched and experienced notable price volatility, dropping to an all-time low near $0.18 on September 9, 2025 and peaking around $1.57 on September 21, 2025. Open Interest surpassed $30 million, and on September 18, 2025, the platform introduced on-chain perpetuals for the seven major U.S. equities (AAPL, MSFT, NVDA, AMZN, GOOG, TSLA, META). An airdrop for early users with an November 8, 2025 claim deadline was announced. In November 2025, AVNT was listed for trading on Robinhood, announced on November 13, 2025.
Avantis operates as a decentralized perpetuals exchange on the Base network, a Layer-2 solution for Ethereum, designed to deliver high throughput and low costs while preserving decentralization. Smart contracts govern core functions like the liquidity vault, trade execution, and risk management.
Trading Features
The platform is built to serve both retail and sophisticated traders with a comprehensive feature set.
Liquidity Provision
A central element is the Avantis LP Vault (avUSDC), a unified market-making vault that serves as the counterparty for all trades. Liquidity Providers deposit USDC into the vault and receive avUSDC, an ERC-4626 yield-bearing token representing their pool share. Holders of avUSDC earn a share of the platform’s trading fees (excluding liquidation fees), offering a steady revenue stream tied to overall platform activity rather than individual trader P&L.
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AVNT is the protocol’s native utility and governance token on the Base network, designed to align incentives among traders, liquidity providers, and developers.
Token Details
Utility
Avantis was co-founded by Harsehaj Singh (CEO) and Raymond Dong (COO). Singh has experience in DeFi investment and traditional finance with roles at Pantera Capital, Lazard, and McKinsey & Company; Dong comes from hedge funds, consulting, and crypto-native product leadership. The broader team comprises engineers and designers from firms including Binance and Quantopian, with members spread across India, the United States, and Europe.
The official documentation also describes the core contributor group as 12 "crypto native" individuals with combined experience in engineering, investment banking, consulting, and product design, underscoring deep ties to both the crypto sector and traditional finance.
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