Edel Finance, the decentralized lending protocol that made its name in tokenized equities on Base, is expanding into derivatives. The project announced on May 26 that it will launch Edel Markets, a private, on-chain perpetual futures exchange covering both equities and commodities, with a target go-live in Q3 2026.

Edel Markets will run on Canton, a blockchain network designed specifically for regulated financial institutions that want privacy baked into every transaction. Canton counts DTCC, Goldman Sachs, and BNY among its backers.

Why Canton, and why it matters

Canton was purpose-built for privacy-preserving capital market activity. That privacy architecture is precisely why Edel chose it for a perpetual futures product targeting institutional players. Perpetual futures are derivative contracts that let traders bet on the price of an asset without ever taking delivery of it, and unlike traditional futures, they never expire.

Canton is already facilitating significant volumes of tokenized assets and collateral. The network has pilot projects underway for the tokenization of US Treasuries, also targeting 2026 rollouts.

From lending protocol to derivatives exchange

Edel Finance has been operating as a decentralized, non-custodial lending protocol specializing in tokenized stocks, primarily on the Base blockchain. The EDEL token powers that ecosystem, serving as the native asset for lending activity in tokenized equity markets.

What this means for the tokenized asset landscape

At this stage, specific trading pairs, fee structures, and partnerships for the new exchange have not been disclosed. Those details will determine whether Edel Markets can attract meaningful liquidity.