Aerodrome and Velodrome merge to form ‘Aero’

Key Takeaways

How does the token distribution work in the Aero merger?

Aerodrome holders receive 94.5% of the new AERO token supply while Velodrome holders receive 5.5%, reflecting the massive disparity in total value locked between the two protocols.

What makes Aero different from other Layer 2 DEXs?

Aero combines Velodrome V2’s vote-lock governance model with Aerodrome’s optimized emissions engine to create the first large-scale DEX unified across multiple Layer 2 rollups.

In a major DeFi milestone, Aerodrome and Velodrome Finance have merged under Dromos Labs to form a new cross-chain decentralized exchange — Aero. 

The merger brings together the dominant trading protocols on Base and Optimism, aiming to unify governance, liquidity, and incentives across multiple Layer 2 networks.

A lopsided but strategic merger

According to the reports, existing Aerodrome (AERO) holders will receive 94.5% of the new token supply, while Velodrome (VELO) holders get 5.5% — a sharp disparity reflecting each platform’s current weight.

Aerodrome holds roughly $479 million in total value locked (TVL), according to data from DefiLlama, compared with Velodrome’s $55 million.

The newly merged platform will initially operate across Base, Optimism, and the OP Superchain, before expanding to Ethereum mainnet to deepen liquidity. 

It will also integrate Circle’s Arc network, leveraging USDC’s $73 billion circulation for frictionless fiat-to-crypto bridges.

Technical upgrades and roadmap

Aero builds on Velodrome V2’s vote-lock model while incorporating Aerodrome’s emissions engine — designed to optimize reward distribution and gauge voting efficiency.

The upgrade also introduces “Slipstream V2,” a concentrated liquidity model similar to Uniswap V3, designed to reduce slippage and enhance capital efficiency.

By merging liquidity pools across Base and Optimism, Aero aims to capture 10–15% of the combined Layer 2 DEX volume, equivalent to more than $2 billion in monthly trading activity.

A contrast to troubled mergers

The smooth execution stands in stark contrast to the recent collapse of the Fetch.ai, SingularityNET, and Ocean Protocol alliance, where a dispute over $100 million worth of FET tokens derailed the partnership and triggered a sharp price drop.

While that conflict highlighted governance breakdowns in multi-protocol integrations, Aero’s transition appears coordinated, transparent, and technically unified under one development team, at least for now.

Why it matters

The Aero merger signals a new phase of DeFi consolidation, where collaboration and interoperability are replacing fragmented ecosystems. 

As Layer 2 networks mature and liquidity becomes more fluid, Aero could emerge as the first large-scale DEX to unify on-chain trading across multiple rollups.

TradingView data shows that Velodrome [VELO] was trading at around $0.042, with an over 13% decline, while Aerodrome [AERO] traded around $1.1 with an over 3% decline.