Lighter history: founders, backers & milestones
Who built Lighter, who backs it, and the major milestones in its story.
Founders
Lighter was built by Vladimir Novakovski, a former Citadel quant and Harvard graduate.
Backers
Founders Fund, Ribbit Capital, a16z, Coatue and others, in a round near $68M.
Timeline of milestones
- 2022Lighter is founded by Vladimir Novakovski
- Jan 2025Invite-only private beta launches
- 2025A round near $68M at a roughly $1.5B valuation
- Oct 2025Public mainnet opens and Season 2 begins
- Dec 2025LIT token launches, with 25% airdropped
FAQ
- Who founded Lighter?
- Lighter was built by Vladimir Novakovski, a former Citadel quant and Harvard graduate.
- When did Lighter launch?
- 2022: Lighter is founded by Vladimir Novakovski.
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