LayerZero launches ATLAS trading infrastructure to support high-speed global markets

LayerZero has released ATLAS, a high-speed trading backend designed to handle matchmaking, clearing, settlement and risk management within a single technology stack for both cryptocurrency native and institutional markets. ATLAS is built on LayerZero's Zero blockchain and adopts a "headless exchange" design without a front-end trading interface. Exchanges and trading platforms can connect their own interfaces to the underlying infrastructure while retaining control over distribution channels and user experience. ATLAS was initially configured to process 200,000 transactions per second, with bit latency of less than 1 msec in tests simulating a public deployment environment. LayerZero measured a median delay of 965 microseconds, a p95 delay of 1.418 milliseconds, and a p99 delay of 2.641 milliseconds.

The open version of ATLAS targets spot, perpetual contract and forecast markets

The open version of ATLAS will support native cryptocurrency trading applications, covering the spot market, perpetual contract, forecast market and other products that do not require licenses. The first batch of partners include GTE, Bullish, Defined and TrueNorth, of which GTE plans to provide ATLAS transaction access immediately after its official launch.

The institutional version of ATLAS uses the same underlying engine

Regulated trading venues are allowed to formulate their own market rules and access requirements. Matchmaking, clearing, settlement and risk management are still integrated within the same technology stack, while the Zero blockchain provides a blockchain settlement layer. This architecture further extends LayerZero to the transaction infrastructure field. Previously, LayerZero's interoperability technology promoted Ondo tokenized stocks into Hyperliquid's HyperEVM, allowing tokenized spot stocks to be used in parallel with perpetual positions for basis trading and Delta-neutral strategies. Zero itself was launched in February this year, with Citadel Securities, DTCC and Intercontinental Exchange participating in work related to its market structure, tokenization and infrastructure development.

ATLAS directly links transaction fees to ZRO

ATLAS charges a single transaction fee, and returns 20% to 65% of the fees to the trading venues of the open version of ATLAS through a tiered rebate mechanism based on transaction volume and ZRO pledge amount. After the commission is refunded to the trading venue, 25% of the remaining fee goes to the market creator, and 75% is used to repurchase and destroy the ZRO. Trading venues can obtain higher rebate levels by gradually increasing the amount of ZRO pledged, with a maximum level of 1% of the total ZRO supply. In addition, ZRO will also secure the Zero blockchain through a delegated proof-of-stake mechanism as its Gas asset, and participate in protocol upgrades and governance of the new Zone.

The release of ATLAS pushed ZRO up sharply on Tuesday, with the token hitting an intraday high of about $1.34 before trading around $1.18 in early trading Wednesday. ZRO closed on August 25 up about 10% from the previous day, with a trading range of $1.04 to $1.34 for the day.

The tokenized market expands towards institutional scale

The launch of ATLAS comes at a time when stablecoins and tokenized assets are driving increasingly large financial activities to the public blockchain. The supply of stablecoins has grown from approximately US$5 billion in 2020 to approximately US$320 billion, while tokenized real-world assets reached a record US$33 billion in the second quarter. LayerZero's full-chain homogeneous token infrastructure has processed approximately US$290 billion in transactions across more than 160 chains, covering stablecoins and tokenized securities. Traditional market infrastructure is much larger: DTCC handled $4.7 trillion in securities transactions in 2025, while providing custody and asset services for $114 trillion in assets. Chain derivatives are also expanding rapidly, with Hyperliquid's open interest recently reaching US$11 billion, of which US$3.6 billion is related to real-world asset perpetual contracts.

ATLAS is scheduled to be officially launched in the second half of 2026, when the open version of ATLAS trading venues will be directly connected to Zero-based matchmaking and settlement infrastructure.