Today, Lighter announced the official launch of its LIT token. The issuer is a Class C company registered in Delaware, which defines Lighter as a "US derivatives infrastructure company." Lighter has publicly committed to not retaining profits, and all net proceeds from the protocol will be distributed to token holders through buybacks or dividends.
For markets that have just been deregulated by the Trump administration, this is the first time they have seen an agreement that has directly established a U.S. entity and used tokens as the sole holder of value.
The sudden change in the compliance environment has become a boost.
Lighter's decision to issue its token within the United States is driven by the GENIUS Act's relaxed definition of digital assets and the regulatory sandbox provided by the CFTC's digital asset pilot program. According to Lighter's announcement, the company is simultaneously utilizing Regulation D and Regulation S exemptions to raise funds from accredited investors and overseas markets. In the past, such operations almost inevitably drew the SEC's ire, but now they have become a prerequisite for "institutional-grade DeFi," indicating that the policy climate has shifted from resistance to a competitive advantage.
100% value attribution token
The most attention-grabbing aspect in the market is the profit distribution mechanism. Traditionally, this involves shareholders and token holders sharing the profits while retaining company profits.
Lighter has opted to forgo equity premium, announcing that the company will only charge a cost fee, with any remaining excess profits going entirely into the LIT price. Under Lighter's current revenue structure, income includes transaction fees and high-frequency data subscription fees, distributed through on-chain buybacks or proportional dividends.
Half of the total LIT supply will be allocated to ecosystem development, with 250 million LIT to be airdropped to early users on the day of issuance, and there will be no lock-up period.
It is estimated that this airdrop will inevitably bring significant selling pressure in the short term, but it will also greatly expand the number of holders and the depth of the secondary market. At the same time, the 50% held by the team and early investors will first undergo a one-year cliff period, and then be linearly unlocked in three years. The allocation design is "to let the community enter first, and then let internal cash out," reducing long-term concerns about dumping.
