Ethereum · Crypto Briefing
Lighter and Mantle networks see surge in whale activity as altcoin volatility rises
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 source. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◌ Single Source
Both networks are recording their highest large-wallet transaction levels in six months, signaling institutional appetite for Ethereum layer 2 plays amid a choppy altcoin market.
Key facts
- Lighter’s platform surpassed $200 billion in 30-day trading volume on its perpetual DEX, a figure that puts it ahead of several more established competitors
- Santiment data flagged Mantle’s token, MNT, as the number one network for increases in transactions worth $100,000 or more back in August 2025
- In a single seven-day window in early January, wallets accumulated over $3.8 million worth of LIT
- Mantle Network positions itself as a modular Ethereum Layer 2 solution with a primary emphasis on liquidity and capital efficiency
Summary
Lighter and Mantle, two Ethereum-adjacent networks with different value propositions, are both experiencing their highest whale transaction activity in six months, according to on-chain data from Santiment. Lighter operates as a zero-knowledge rollup built specifically for decentralized perpetual futures trading on Ethereum, where the ZK infrastructure handles order matching and throughput. The protocol has been running an aggressive buyback program, repurchasing approximately 15.5 million of its native LIT tokens. In a single seven-day window in early January, wallets accumulated over $3.8 million worth of LIT.