Decentralized exchange (DEX) dYdX is forging ahead with ambitious plans to enhance its platform, including the integration of Telegram trading, even as it grapples with declining earnings. The roadmap update outlines a series of strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening its competitive position, increasing market share, and delivering long-term value to its community and ecosystem.

A key highlight of the updated roadmap is the planned launch of Telegram-based trading in September 2025. This feature is made possible through dYdX's acquisition of Pocket Protector, a social trading application. The integration will allow users to seamlessly trade on their dYdX accounts via both web and Telegram interfaces, with the opportunity to earn a share of over $3 million in monthly rewards. Eddie Zhang, co-founder of Pocket Protector, has joined dYdX as president.

In addition to Telegram trading, dYdX is focused on rolling out several software upgrades designed to improve performance, user experience, and token utility. These include:

• Partner Fee Share: This program allows partners who bring volume and liquidity to dYdX to earn up to 50% of protocol fees.
• Scale & TWAP Orders: These advanced order types provide traders with more sophisticated execution options, enabling them to issue multiple limit orders across a price range (scale orders) or divide large orders into smaller suborders to be executed over time (TWAP orders).
• Designated Proposers: This feature aims to reduce end-to-end trading latency by assigning specific validators, enabling faster execution and a high-performance experience for users.
• Social Login: Users will be able to sign in and deposit instantly using Google, Apple, or Passkey, providing a streamlined onboarding experience across mobile and web devices.
• Buy & Stake Token: Direct swaps between USDC and DYDX will be available on the web front-end through an integration with Osmosis.
• Staking for Reduced Fees: Customizable fee tiers will allow the community to reward token stakers with reduced trading fees.

dYdX is also working on longer-term initiatives, including expanding access to financial markets by listing not only digital assets but also traditional instruments like U.S. equities and indexes. The platform plans to introduce spot trading, supporting multiple public chains like Solana, and will add USDT, Solana, and fiat deposit channels.

These efforts to enhance the platform come as dYdX faces a decline in earnings. According to DefiLlama, dYdX posted earnings of $3.2 million in the second quarter of 2025, an 84% decrease compared to the $20.1 million generated in the same period of 2024. Its total value locked (TVL) has also fallen to $312 million, down from $1.1 billion in October 2021. In response to these challenges, dYdX laid off 35% of its workforce in October 2024, signaling a need for a new direction.

Despite the recent downturn, dYdX is confident in its future. The company has rebranded from dYdX Trading to dYdX Labs, reflecting its focus on on-chain development and experimentation. With a substantial runway of $150 million at dYdX Labs and hundreds of millions more in the DAO, dYdX is committed to the long-term market and believes the DeFi derivatives market will continue to expand. The platform aims to democratize access to financial opportunity, deliver a world-class consumer experience, and maximize token utility.

Recent upgrades to the dYdX protocol have already led to significant improvements in reliability and user experience. Since April 2025, API performance has increased by 98%, and enhanced mobile and web interfaces have boosted trading activity by over 50%. Free and instant deposits above $100 are now available across multiple chains, removing a significant entry barrier for DeFi users.

dYdX's roadmap represents a strategic effort to solidify its position in the decentralized exchange landscape. By focusing on innovation, user experience, and community engagement, dYdX aims to capture a larger share of the growing DeFi market and drive long-term token appreciation.