GMX Launches Multichain Perp DEX on Base Network

The launch of GMX Multichain represents a fundamental shift in how decentralized perpetual exchanges approach scalability. By expanding to Base, Coinbase’s rapidly growing Ethereum Layer 2 network, GMX immediately gains access to over 1.3 million new users while maintaining its commitment to DeFi’s core principles of permissionless access and user sovereignty. Jone Zee, Communications Coordinator at GMX, explains this as “horizontal expansion; rapidly increasing the total addressable market” while avoiding the trade-offs that often accompany scaling solutions.

This strategic expansion comes at a critical juncture for GMX, which has already facilitated over $320 billion in trading volume from more than 720,000 users across Arbitrum, Avalanche, Solana, and the Bitcoin-based Botanix blockchain over its four-year history. The Base integration serves as the initial step in a broader multichain strategy that will progressively unlock access from additional popular EVM blockchains including Binance Chain, Berachain, Ethereum Mainnet, Sonic, Linea, and ApeChain.

Powered by LayerZero’s battle-tested interoperability protocol, GMX Multichain delivers unprecedented cross-chain functionality. Traders can now access GMX’s 90+ perpetual contracts and 23 high-liquidity swap markets directly from any EVM blockchain, starting with Base. The integration features trade execution in under one second across chains, with network costs and RPC dependencies abstracted away through GMX Express functionality.

The user experience represents a significant leap forward in DeFi accessibility. Frictionless onboarding enables users to connect their wallet, deposit collateral, and begin trading in under 30 seconds—eliminating the manual bridging and complex setup processes that have traditionally hampered cross-chain interactions. This streamlined approach democratizes access to sophisticated trading tools that were previously limited to technically proficient users.

LayerZero’s infrastructure, which has already processed 150 million messages and supported $120 billion in volume, provides the foundation for unified liquidity across all supported public blockchains. This unified liquidity model ensures that traders benefit from deep, aggregated markets regardless of which chain they’re accessing GMX from, creating a truly seamless multichain trading environment.

The Base integration positions GMX to capture significant market share within one of crypto’s fastest-growing ecosystems. With Base’s established user base and Coinbase’s institutional backing, GMX gains immediate access to a sophisticated trading audience while setting the stage for broader adoption across the EVM landscape. The timing is strategic, as perpetual trading volumes continue to grow across both centralized and decentralized venues.

Looking ahead, GMX plans to rapidly expand its multichain footprint. Following the Base launch, the protocol will integrate with multiple additional EVM chains, transforming from what Jone Zee describes as “the old-school, pioneer Perp DEX on Arbitrum” into a comprehensive multichain trading infrastructure. The upcoming liquidity provision feature will further enhance the ecosystem, allowing users from Base and other EVM chains to earn yield by providing liquidity directly to GMX’s high-performance GM pools and GLV vaults.

This expansion aligns with GMX’s broader vision of becoming the go-to permissionless perpetual trading platform for users across all decentralized blockchains. As Jone Zee emphasizes, “With Multichain, GMX is building the most accessible decentralized exchange infrastructure for DeFi users everywhere. People are used to thinking of GMX as the old-school, pioneer Perp DEX on Arbitrum. Soon they’ll understand that what GMX really stands for is: Trade Anywhere, Onchain. Seamlessly, Permissionlessly.”