Omnichain protocol LayerZero is set to launch a cryptocurrency exchange named ATLAS, targeting financial institutions. The release is scheduled for fall 2026.
https://t.co/VPz65GGwRa
— LayerZero (@LayerZero_Core) August 25, 2026
According to the developers, the platform will integrate matching, clearing, settlement, and risk management into a single technology stack. It will not have its own user interface or application. The LayerZero team described this architecture as headless.
Traders will access the platform through intermediaries who will connect to ATLAS and manage the products and their distribution independently.
“We create the product and the market, and then brokers and financial institutions provide access to it for their clients,” said LayerZero co-founder and CEO Brian Pellegrino in an interview with The Information.
Among the partners exploring the network’s use, Pellegrino highlighted market maker Citadel Securities, clearing corporation DTCC, and exchange holding company Intercontinental Exchange, which owns the New York Stock Exchange.
Pellegrino stated that liquidity on ATLAS will be provided from day one by “some of the largest market makers,” though he did not specify which companies. Initially, the platform will offer spot cryptocurrency trading and perpetual futures. Later, LayerZero plans to integrate prediction markets, traditional futures, and options.
The exchange will be built on Zero, a layer-one blockchain that the team discussed in February. It is positioned as a network for global financial markets, payments, and universal applications, with a claimed throughput of 2 million transactions per second.
ATLAS will also feature two configurations:
- Open — for crypto applications and prediction platforms.
- Institutional — for institutional clients with 24/7 access and flexible participation terms.
Expected ATLAS Metrics and the Role of ZRO
During tests, the median latency of ATLAS did not exceed 1 ms. In 95% of cases, it was within 1418 ms, and in 99% of cases, it was within 2641 ms. The platform’s initial throughput is stated to be 200,000 transactions per second.
The exchange will charge a unified transaction fee. Platforms connected to Open ATLAS will receive a rebate of 20% to 65%, depending on trading volume and/or the amount of staked ZRO. The maximum rebate requires locking up to 1% of the total token issuance.
LayerZero believes this scheme will eliminate the need for partners to add their own markup on top of the exchange fee, as their share is already included in the unified fee.
The remaining portion of the fees after the rebate is distributed as follows: 25% to the market maker and 75% for the buyback and burning of ZRO. The exact fee amount was not disclosed by the team.
ZRO will retain all its primary functions — it will remain the main asset for gas payments in the network and staking, as well as a tool for voting on protocol updates.
Following the news, the asset’s price increased by nearly 3%. Over the past week, it has gained 48%. At the time of writing, ZRO is trading around $1.18.
Earlier, in May, following the hack of the liquid restaking protocol Kelp, the LayerZero team acknowledged that using a single verifier configuration for securing large transactions was a mistake.
