COMPARISONS
Arcus Against the Field
Side-by-side comparisons of Arcus and the perp venues it gets measured against. Fees come from each venue's own documentation, volume from DefiLlama, and every table keeps the rows where Arcus loses.
Where Arcus stands
Arcus is young and small next to the leaders. On October 2, 2026, DefiLlama ranked it 19th of 209 derivatives protocols by 30-day volume, with $4.11 billion, though its 24-hour volume ranked seventh after a sharp rise in late September. On Robinhood Chain itself, Lighter's separate deployment did about three times Arcus's 30-day perps volume.
Where Arcus stands out is price and product. Its beta taker fee of 0.0225% is the lowest base taker rate among order-book venues that charge one, and it lists its own equity, index and commodity perps next to fee-free Stock Token spot trading. Its BTC book is tight at the top, but thin beyond it. Perps access also needs an invite code or a waitlist slot, which open venues do not ask for.
How to read these comparisons
The headline fee matters most for small, frequent orders. For larger orders, book depth and slippage can outweigh a few basis points of fee. Arcus's beta pricing has no announced end date; after it, Arcus's base rates match Hyperliquid's. Check where you live first: Arcus, Hyperliquid and Lighter all restrict the United States, and Arcus also restricts Canada and the United Kingdom.
Arcus at a Glance
Base tier, read October 2, 2026
Arcus vs Hyperliquid vs Lighter vs dYdX Chain
| Feature | Arcus | Hyperliquid | Lighter | dYdX Chain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base taker fee | 0.0225% (beta) | 0.045% | 0% Standard (300 ms taker delay) | 0.050% |
| Base maker fee | 0% (beta) | 0.015% | 0% Standard | 0.010% |
| Fee after beta | 0.045% / 0.015% | No beta pricing | No beta pricing | No beta pricing |
| Equity perps | Own listings: 34 stocks, 4 index ETFs, 4 commodity ETFs | Builder-deployed markets such as trade.xyz | Yes, on its Robinhood Chain exchange | See full comparison |
| 30-day perps volume | $4.11B | $207.8B | $55.3B (both deployments) | $1.21B |
| Open interest | $44.6M | $8.37B | $824.5M (both deployments) | $43.8M |
| Perps access | Invite code or waitlist | Open | Open | Open |
| Token | None (points program) | HYPE | LIT | DYDX |
Base-tier perpetual fees from Arcus, Hyperliquid, Lighter and dYdX documentation, before referral, staking and volume discounts. Arcus market counts from the Arcus markets API. Volume and open interest from DefiLlama. All read October 2, 2026.
Quick Verdicts
One line per comparison. Each full page has the sourced detail.
| Comparison | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Arcus vs HyperliquidHyperliquidGuide ↗ | Arcus charges half the taker fee during the beta and lists its own equity perps; Hyperliquid has about 50x the volume, far deeper books and open access. |
| Arcus vs LighterLighterpedia ↗ | Lighter is cheaper at 0% Standard and is the bigger perps venue on Robinhood Chain; Arcus has no taker delay and fee-free Stock Token spot. |
| Arcus vs dYdX Chain | Same builder, different exchange. Arcus is cheaper, busier and adds stocks; dYdX Chain runs on community validators and has open access. |
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Get 5% Off Arcus FeesArcus vs dYdX Chain (2026): Same Team, Different Exchanges
Arcus vs dYdX Chain: how the dYdX Labs exchange on Robinhood Chain differs from the Cosmos-based dYdX v4 on architecture, fees, markets, token and access.
Arcus vs Hyperliquid (2026): Fees, Markets, Liquidity and Access Compared
Arcus vs Hyperliquid on fees, markets, order-book depth and access. Arcus's beta taker fee is half of Hyperliquid's, while Hyperliquid's books run far deeper.
Arcus vs Lighter (2026): Zero Fees vs Low Fees on Robinhood Chain
Arcus vs Lighter on Robinhood Chain: Lighter's zero-fee Standard accounts and 3x volume against Arcus's 0.0225% taker, faster fills and 190+ Stock Tokens.