Dromos Labs, developer of decentralized exchanges Aerodrome and Velodrome, is consolidating the two platforms into a single DEX called Aero.
According to a press release shared with The Defiant, the upgrade will extend Aerodrome's Base-based platform to additional networks, including the Ethereum mainnet and Circle's Arc, with Base remaining the primary hub of the integrated platform.
“Aerodrome has been successful with Base and we are excited to expand to effectively serve other Ethereum networks via Aero,” Alexander Cutler, founder and CEO of Dromos Labs, said in a press release. The company suggested a release date for the second quarter of 2026, but did not provide a specific date.
Aero mechanism
To power the integrated DEX, Dromos Labs is introducing METADEX03, an upgraded operating system designed to reduce value leakage, lower costs, and improve transaction efficiency across Ethereum-compatible networks.
According to the release, METADEX03 adds features such as Slipstream V3, which captures value typically lost to arbitrage bots, and MetaSwaps, which enables cross-chain trading from a single interface.
At launch, Aerodrome and Velodrome will work on all currently deployed chains, as well as several new chains recently launched on the testnet, including Ethereum, Circle's Layer 1, and Ark.
Aero’s new token
Luis A. de la Cerda, executive director of the Aerodrome and Velodrome Foundation, said in commentary to The Defiant that the upgrade will also introduce a new native token for Aero. Owners of AERO and VELO tokens will be able to migrate to new tokens that manage governance, rewards, and incentives across a unified platform.
“By linking all EVMs under one token, Aero can operate at a scale that no other token has ever reached, centralizing the full power of MetaDEX03 to generate, capture and coordinate on-chain economic activity,” De la Cerda told The Defiant.
De la Cerda added that existing aerodrome and velodrome protocols will continue to work, but “will no longer be supported after the launch of the aerodrome.”
Airfield vs Velodrome
Launched on Coinbase's Layer 2-based network in August 2023, Aerodrome has grown to become the largest DEX on the network in terms of trading volume.
Top 5 DEX based. Source: Defilama
According to DefiLlama data, the platform holds $475.9 million in total value lock (TVL) at the time of writing, making it the fourth largest protocol on Base by TVL.
Velodrome, on the other hand, was launched in 2022 for the Optimism superchain ecosystem and currently holds approximately $39 million in TVL, making it the third largest protocol on the OP mainnet.
Top 5 protocols for OP Mainnet by TVL. Source: Defilama
According to CoinGecko, both platforms' native tokens, AERO and VELO, have both risen 30-40% in the past week, but are down 50% and 88%, respectively, from their all-time highs in December 2024.
Last month, Aerodrome tokens soared when Animoca Brands, one of Asia's top Web3 game development and investment companies, announced that it had purchased an undisclosed amount of AERO on the market for long-term holding and staking.
