If you've been keeping an eye on the blockchain world, especially the wild ride of meme tokens, you might have caught this exciting tweet from Starknet. They're hyping up a new development that's blending perpetual futures trading (often called "perps"), the launch of a project called Extended, and Starknet's own scaling prowess. Let's break it down in simple terms and see why this could be a game-changer for meme token enthusiasts.

What’s the Buzz About?

Starknet, a layer-2 scaling solution on Ethereum that uses zero-knowledge rollups to make transactions faster and cheaper, posted about three worlds converging: "Perps print, Extended ships, Starknet scales." In crypto speak, "perps print" refers to how perpetual futures DEXes (decentralized exchanges) generate steady revenue through trading fees. "Extended ships" means the Extended protocol is launching, and "Starknet scales" highlights the network's ability to handle high volumes without breaking a sweat.

The tweet links to a video interview on The Rollup, where Ruslan Fahritdinov, founder of Extended and a former Revolut crypto exec, spills the beans on their new perp DEX built on Starknet.

Who is Ruslan and Why Extended?

Ruslan joined crypto full-time in 2021 at Revolut, Europe's biggest neobank with over 10 million crypto users. He helped grow their crypto department from a basic buy-sell platform to handling hundreds of millions in volume. In 2023, he left with eight colleagues to start Extended, aiming to recreate a top-tier exchange experience but fully decentralized and trustless.

The spark? The FTX collapse in late 2022. Ruslan saw how centralized exchanges could fail spectacularly and decided to build something where users keep custody of their funds, with all settlements on-chain. No more trusting operators with your assets—everything's transparent and secure on Starknet.

Key Features of Extended: A Meme Trader’s Dream

Extended isn't just another perp DEX; it's designed for efficiency and innovation, which is perfect for the volatile meme token market where quick trades and leverage can make or break your plays. Here's what stands out:

• Cross-Asset Collateral Margin: Soon, you'll post non-stablecoin assets like ETH or WBTC as collateral to trade USDC-settled perps. This means you can leverage your meme token holdings without selling them first, opening up spot markets and unified margins across perps, spot, and lending.

• High Throughput and Low Latency: Built on Starknet, Extended handles massive volumes—think 200 trades per second on day one. For meme traders, this means no more waiting during hype pumps or dumps. Starknet's scaling ensures smooth sailing even when the market goes crazy.

• User-Friendly Onboarding: Connect any EVM wallet, deposit from other chains, and trade without touching Starknet directly if you don't want to. Most users aren't even Starknet natives—they're just there for the trading action.

• Vault Tokenization: Lock assets in a vault for yields, then use those vault shares as collateral. It's like earning passive income while actively trading memes.

Extended's roadmap includes spot markets, integrated lending, and possibly their own EVM-compatible chain on top of Starknet for even more customization.

Why Starknet? Scalability Meets Security

Ruslan chose Starknet for two big reasons: independence and performance. They didn't want to build their own chain to avoid controlling the settlement layer—user funds stay secure on Starknet. Plus, it's the only chain in the EVM ecosystem that can handle their required throughput without choking.

For meme tokens, which thrive on Ethereum but suffer from high fees, Starknet's low costs and speed make it ideal. Imagine trading the next big dog-themed coin with leverage, without gas fees eating your profits.

The Bigger Picture for Meme Tokens

Perp DEXes like Extended are cash cows in crypto, rivaled only by prediction markets. They print revenue through fees, and with meme tokens' insane volatility, perps let you go long or short without owning the asset. Extended's features could attract institutional players too, bringing more liquidity to meme trading.

Ruslan's goal? Hit a billion dollars in daily volume organically—no paid marketing, just solid product and word-of-mouth. Drawing from centralized giants like Binance (which holds about 35% of CEX perp volume), he sees DeFi perps fragmenting similarly, with room for multiple winners.

Wrapping Up

This Starknet tweet isn't just hype—it's a peek into how DeFi is evolving to support the meme token frenzy. Extended's launch could supercharge trading on Starknet, making it easier, faster, and more efficient for everyone from degens to pros. If you're into memes, keep an eye on Extended and Starknet. Who knows? This might be the setup for the next big pump.

For the full scoop, check out the original tweet here.