The layer two (L2) heavyweights Aerodrome and Velodrome are officially being parked under one roof, with Dromos Labs rolling them into Aero — a move that signals less friendly rivalry and more let’s stop splitting liquidity like it’s a group project.

The merger aims to streamline governance, unify incentives, and expand decentralized finance (DeFi) access across Base, Optimism, Ethereum’s mainnet, and even Circle’s permissioned Arc network. Aerodrome and Velodrome have spent years serving as the backbone of their respective ecosystems, amassing more than $530 million in combined TVL and racking up sizable annual fee revenue.

Aerodrome leads Base with roughly $457 million in TVL and $180 million in yearly fees, while Velodrome contributes about $56 million and $7 million from the Optimism side of the neighborhood. The merger eliminates the need for users to maintain loyalties between networks and instead centers liquidity in one destination.

Aero is built on the METADEX03 operating system, which is designed to reduce value leakage and reroute more revenue to participants. Slipstream V3 — the upgraded AMM engine — bakes MEV capture directly into swaps, keeping arbitrage gains closer to home rather than handing them to bots lurking in the mempool.

The platform’s cross-chain plans pull in the Ethereum mainnet for wider accessibility and Circle’s Arc for compliance-oriented trading environments. Aero also introduces Metaswaps for cross-chain transactions from one interface and a tiered token-launch system that ranges from free-for-all deployments to fully regulated pools. In short, it attempts to accommodate both the Wild West crowd and the button-down set without trying to be everything to everyone.

Read more: Unlocking the Future: Your Fun Guide to Decentralized Finance and Web3

Users can keep using the old platforms for now, though Dromos Labs made it clear that support will taper off as Aero becomes the new focal point. The new AERO token replaces both current tokens, and the allocation leans heavily toward Aerodrome users, who receive 94.5% of the supply. Velodrome holders receive 5.5%, a split Dromos Labs attributes to revenue differences rather than favoritism.

Aero’s launch is slated for Q2 2026, with expectations of onboarding Ethereum mainnet and Arc before expanding further. The team believes the unified structure could capture 10–15% of Layer 2 DEX volume — a goal rooted in consolidation rather than hype.

Reaction across social channels has been mostly upbeat, with proponents praising the consolidation for cutting friction and potentially improving execution. Early token-market movement reflected interest, though not without the usual swings that accompany any major DeFi restructuring. The token AERO is down 19% today, and VELO is down 1.3%.

• What is Aero?
  Aero is the unified decentralized exchange created by merging Aerodrome and Velodrome into a single cross-chain platform.
• When will Aero launch?
  Aero is scheduled for a full release in Q2 2026 across multiple networks.
• What happens to existing tokens?
  Both current tokens will convert into a new AERO token through a migration process.
• Which networks will Aero support?
  Aero will operate on Base, Optimism, Ethereum mainnet, and Circle’s Arc chain.

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