The decentralized platform dYdX has just made a strategic move that could change the game in the world of crypto trading: the acquisition of Pocket Protector, a viral trading app on Telegram that has already generated over a billion dollars in volume. A double win, as they promptly appoint Eddie Zhang, co-founder of Pocket Protector, who has experience at Meta and Amazon, as the new president.
dYdX acquires the trading app Pocket Protector
For several months now, dYdX has been returning to its original mission: to become the global benchmark for decentralized derivative trading. With this acquisition, the message is clear: speed, user experience, and a more aggressive strategy on social networks and mass usage.
Pocket Protector, founded in 2024, has emerged as one of the most innovative apps in the sector. Its Telegram bot allows trading directly from a chat group, offering a smooth, frictionless experience that has already attracted over 50,000 users. Behind this rapid success are two strong profiles: Eddie Zhang, former Meta and Amazon executive specializing in consumer products, and Kaiser Kinbote, seasoned investor and expert in token design and community dynamics.
dYdX scales up with a new president
Eddie Zhang doesn’t come empty-handed. Appointed as President of dYdX, he brings both a startup culture and product expertise inherited from web2 giants. His goal: to transform the dYdX experience to make it faster, more intuitive, and more viral.
Eddie has founding DNA. He will enable us to deliver powerful experiences at an unprecedented pace.
Antonio Juliano, dYdX founder
This is not just a recruitment; it’s a strong signal to the entire DeFi industry. dYdX is no longer content with innovating on derivative products alone. They want to shape the interface for the trading of tomorrow, drawing inspiration from social and mobile codes.
The acquisition of Pocket Protector will not be just a side project. The current platform will continue to be supported, but a much deeper integration is planned. New interfaces, novel protocols, user experiences focused on simplicity and virality are on the agenda.
With this shift towards social trading and integrating native features on Telegram, dYdX hopes to expand its user base far beyond traditional DeFi traders. At a time when more user-friendly platforms are gaining ground, the move seems as audacious as it is necessary.
dYdX: fifth DEX in TVL, but not for long?
According to DeFiLlama data, dYdX is currently the fifth largest DEX for derivative products in terms of TVL. But with this targeted acquisition, the platform demonstrates its intention to play a central role in the next phase of DeFi market growth.
An acquisition, a new president, a strategic shift: dYdX has just activated a new growth lever. Now, we wait to see if integrating Pocket Protector will propel the platform into a new league. One thing is certain: the battle for the future of decentralized trading has just stepped up a notch.
