Katana Acquires IDEX to Launch Katana Perps, Bringing Native Perpetual Futures to Its DeFi Chain

Matthew Fisher appointed CEO as Katana deepens its vertically integrated trading stack. Acquire.Fi served as exclusive sell-side M&A advisor and deal introducer to IDEX.

New York, March 23, 2026 — Katana has completed the acquisition of IDEX, a veteran on-chain trading infrastructure team, and launched Katana Perps, its native perpetual futures platform, now live at perps.katana.network. Acquire.Fi, the Web3-native M&A advisory firm, served as exclusive sell-side advisor to IDEX and the original deal introducer.

The acquisition marks a significant step in Katana’s strategy to own the core economic engines of its chain rather than rely on third-party applications for trading volume. Katana Perps will be integrated directly into the Katana App alongside spot and routing, making derivatives a native part of the platform rather than a separate product built on top of it.

Matthew Fisher has been appointed CEO of Katana to lead this next phase. Fisher brings a background in institutional business development, digital asset policy, and DeFi infrastructure, with prior roles at Diem, Polygon Labs, and Katana itself.

IDEX brings nearly a decade of experience building on-chain trading infrastructure. The team’s matching engine delivers CEX-grade performance on-chain, including low-latency execution, advanced order types, chart trading with take-profit and stop-loss functionality, and mature API support for professional integrations. 

The timing of the launch reflects broader shifts in market structure. Crypto trading activity increasingly occurs outside traditional hours, and demand for always-on, high-performance derivatives venues continues to grow globally. Katana Perps is built to serve that market.

Katana Perps is positioned to serve professional and institutional traders, market makers, and crypto-native users who require a performance-oriented venue. Over time, vKAT voters will be able to direct incentives toward perps-related markets and earn fees from them, integrating perps revenue into the same flywheel that powers spot, lending, and launch activity on the chain.

Katana’s broader DeFi stack now covers four core verticals: Sushi for spot, Morpho for lending, Kensei for token launches, and Katana Perps for derivatives. The KAT and vKAT token model serves as the coordination layer across all four.

Katana Perps launches with Season 1 of a Points Program designed to reward organic trading, sustained participation, liquidity contribution, and referrals.This product is not available to persons located in the United States. Nothing in this release constitutes an offer or solicitation to U.S. persons.

Acquire.Fi originated the transaction and served as exclusive sell-side advisor to IDEX, guiding the process from initial introduction through final close.

ABOUT KATANA

Katana is a DeFi-native chain built around a tightly integrated trading stack. Its core applications span spot, lending, and now perpetual futures. The chain’s economic model centers on KAT and vKAT as coordination and fee-distribution mechanisms across all native venues.

ABOUT IDEX / KATANA PERPS

IDEX has been building on-chain trading infrastructure for nearly a decade. As Katana Perps, the team now operates as the native derivatives venue of the Katana chain and integrated in the Katana App, delivering a CEX-like experience on-chain with deep API support and a roadmap toward sophisticated market structure tools.

ABOUT ACQUIRE.FI

Acquire.Fi is a Web3-native M&A advisory firm specializing in buy-side and sell-side mandates across DeFi infrastructure, exchanges, fintech, and digital asset businesses. The firm operates at the intersection of deal origination, institutional buyer relationships, and execution, with over 350 deals seen across its pipeline. Notable credentials include advisory on the Kraken/Vertex perps DEX acquisition and ongoing mandates across regulated entities and high-growth crypto businesses globally.

MEDIA CONTACT

[Jan Strandberg]

[CEO], Acquire.Fi

[[e-mail]] 

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