Alexander Cutler, co-founder of Aerodrome Finance (@aeroxyz), has set an ambitious target for the protocol: "doubled our share of spot volumes, at the very least" by the end of 2026. The stat
Alexander Cutler, co-founder of Aerodrome Finance (@aeroxyz), has set an ambitious target for the protocol: "doubled our share of spot volumes, at the very least" by the end of 2026. The statement signals growing confidence from the team behind one of decentralized finance's most active liquidity hubs.
The goal is not without foundation. $AERO generated $3.77B in DEX volume in the past week alone, according to DefiLlama. Aerodrome's total value locked currently sits at $388 million, with the vast majority concentrated on Base.The protocol holds roughly 43% of Base DEX volume, with Uniswap trailing at approximately 32%, according to The DeFi Report from May 2026.
Aerodrome operates as a ve(3,3) protocol where 100% of all trading fees flow directly to veAERO holders, creating a direct token-revenue link that is rare in DeFi.The launch of its Slipstream concentrated liquidity pools in April 2024 significantly boosted volume share, lifting Aerodrome's Base DEX market share from roughly 50% to over 63% and displacing Uniswap as the preferred venue for many trading pairs.
Cutler's ambition is backed by a structural catalyst. Aerodrome Finance and Velodrome Finance are merging into a single protocol called Aero, set to deploy across seven EVM-compatible chains on October 21, 2026, including Base, Ethereum mainnet, OP mainnet, Arc, Ink, Arbitrum, and Robinhood Chain.The launch is expected to roughly triple the current 17% share of EVM spot trading volume that the two protocols already capture.
The merger announcement on September 25, 2026, already triggered a roughly 25% price surge, indicating strong market anticipation. Whether Cutler's market share target is achievable will depend on how quickly the combined protocol can attract liquidity across its new chains and how competitors, particularly Uniswap, respond.
Sources:Aerodrome Protocol Data, DefiLlamaAerodrome Surpasses 700 DEXs in Spot FX Volume, Crypto BriefingAerodrome (AERO) Base L2 DEX Research, Token Intel
