What it does
Arcus combines a trading interface with blockchain-based collateral and settlement. Its centralized order book and sequencer feed a permissioned appchain; root-chain contracts handle state commitments and withdrawals. This is a hybrid design, with distinct responsibilities for execution, validation and settlement.
The practical attraction is access to several asset classes through a familiar order-book workflow, with a choice of how position collateral is managed. To compare Arcus with another venue, assess each component separately: who sequences orders, who validates them, where collateral sits and what an exit requires.
Which network does Arcus use?
The public deployment uses Robinhood Chain. An internal permissioned appchain validates exchange activity and commits state to root-chain contracts. Arcus is therefore not a dYdX Chain deployment, despite the team’s background.
Where it stands out
- The architecture documentation identifies the sequencer, appchain validation and settlement contracts, making the system’s responsibilities easier to inspect.
- Cross and isolated positions give traders a choice between shared collateral and a separately allocated position margin.
- The fee table distinguishes perpetual trading from spot promotions and exposes how beta discounts change the ordinary tier schedule.
What you can do
- 01Perpetual markets cover crypto, equities, indices and commodities; the advertised maximum leverage is market-dependent, up to 50×.
- 02Isolated positions were announced live on 9 September 2026. Margin can be allocated and adjusted for an individual isolated position.
- 03Fees use rolling 30-day trading volume. Referral earnings are a separate mechanism, not the basis of a trader’s own fee tier.
Who’s behind it
Arcus’s official launch material names Eddie Zhang as founder and CEO and describes the team as coming from dYdX. That background does not make Arcus the dYdX protocol or transfer dYdX’s investors and funding history to this project. Robinhood Crypto is a disclosed investor and Robinhood Chain is the announced deployment network.
Supporting sources 1
Funding and investors
The 1 July 2026 Arcus–Robinhood announcement discloses an investment by Robinhood Crypto. It does not publish the amount, valuation or a named financing stage. The investment is therefore recorded without invented figures, and earlier dYdX rounds are not attributed to Arcus.
Supporting sources 1
- 2026-07-01Undisclosed
Disclosed investment; stage unspecified
Reported investorsRobinhood Crypto
The official launch post confirms the investor but does not disclose an amount or valuation.
Supporting sources 1
Referral benefits and conditions
Arcus documents a referral program, but a guaranteed cash payment or trading-fee discount for the invited user was not confirmed. Published referral commissions reward the referrer.
A referral link can populate a code, or a code can be entered through Rewards. The ability to add one closes after a trading-volume threshold; the reviewed help page does not publish its value. Add and verify a future code before trading rather than assuming it can be attached retrospectively.
Supporting sources 4
Fees & availability
Fees and costs
The current beta schedule lists zero maker fees for tiers 0–4 and a base taker rate of 0.0225%, versus the ordinary 0.045% base taker rate. Higher tiers can have maker rebates. These are perpetual rates; a zero-fee spot promotion should not be generalized to every trade. Funding and market execution costs remain separate.
Supporting sources 1
Eligibility and availability
Beta access and jurisdiction limits apply. Centralized sequencing and permissioned appchain validation are meaningful dependencies. The documented emergency exit design relies on available state data and the last committed root; an emergency rollback may not preserve every trade made after that commitment. Isolated margin changes collateral allocation, not these infrastructure assumptions.