Panama City, Republic of Panama — February 18, 2026. Sai announced a new platform called Sai Perps. It is a place to trade perpetual futures, also known as perpetual contracts. The goal is to be as fast and easy to use as a traditional centralized exchange (CEX) but with the safety and openness of blockchain technology. Sai Perps uses a feature called gasless transactions. This means traders can place orders without paying extra gas fees. Gas is the fee paid to use a blockchain. Even though trades are settled on the blockchain, Sai makes the process smoother for speed and ease of use.
Along with the platform, Sai launched a one‑month trading competition named Let’s Go Saicho. It runs from February 18 to March 19, 2026. The total prize pool is $25,000. The competition has two parts. The first part rewards profitable traders based on how much money they make (PNL). The second part is a be‑early phase. This part gives prizes to traders who join early and reach a minimum amount of trading volume.
Matthias Darblade, a Sai contributor, explained the idea simply: “On‑chain markets shouldn’t force traders to choose between fast trading and keeping their own funds safe.” He said Sai Perps is designed for active traders who want a clean, fast trading experience similar to a CEX. At the same time, traders still get the transparent, verifiable settlement that only on‑chain systems can provide.
Why Sai Perps is different from other perp DEXs
Sai Perps is built around one main idea: trading should be easy without all the usual friction that comes with on‑chain perpetuals. Here are some of the key differences people can notice:
- CEX‑like UX, on‑chain settlement. The platform is designed to feel fast and familiar to users of traditional exchanges. But every trade is settled on the blockchain. This is transparent and can be checked by anyone.
- Infrastructure for deep, smooth markets. Sai focused a lot on liquidity, risk systems, and Oracle design. This helps trades execute cleanly and keeps market behavior reliable even when the market moves fast.
- Accessible to both new and experienced traders. The platform aims to be quick and easy to use, but it also supports advanced trading ideas for seasoned users.
The Sai team also shared plans beyond crypto futures. They want to expand to other kinds of markets. This includes stocks, commodities, and foreign exchange (FX). They also want to add features that help users use their funds more efficiently. For example, Sai Savings could let people earn interest on deposits. They also plan to allow cross‑chain deposits, which means funds can move across different blockchain networks more easily.
The Let’s Go Saicho trading competition
The competition runs for one month and has two parts. Both parts let participants trade on all markets offered by Sai. Traders can go long or short on any listed pair. They can use supported collateral such as USDC or other assets you can hold on Sai. Here is how the two parts work:
- Phase 1 — PNL Competition (Feb 18 – Mar 4): A total prize pool of $20,000. There will be 50 winners. The focus is on making profit, so traders with higher gains win more prizes.
- Phase 2 — Be Early (First Come, First Serve) (Mar 5 – Mar 19): A total prize pool of $5,000. There will be 50 winners. In this phase, what matters is joining early and hitting a minimum trading volume. This rewards traders who start early and stay active.
All markets on Sai are eligible in both phases. Traders may take long or short positions on any listed trading pair. Supported collateral examples include USDC and other assets available on Sai, such as stNIBI, when offered by Sai.
For more details on the Sai trading competition, you can visit the competition page on Sai’s site.
About Sai
Sai is a new platform for perpetual trading. The goal is to make trading feel as fast and easy as using a traditional exchange, while keeping all trades settled on the blockchain. This means the final settlement is public, secure, and verifiable by anyone who checks the blockchain. Sai’s mission is to make advanced trading accessible to more people, without sacrificing transparency or self‑custody.
Sai focuses on building the core technology first. That includes the trading engine that matches orders, liquidity and risk management tools, and the design of oracles that provide price data. The team also plans to add features that let users earn yield on idle collateral, which means money sitting in the account can grow over time. The next steps on the road map include expanding to more markets (stocks, commodities, and FX), launching Sai Savings, enabling cross‑chain deposits, and creating smart accounts that support gasless trading.
What does this mean for traders?
For someone who trades, Sai Perps can feel familiar and fast. The platform is built to reduce friction while keeping the safety and transparency that come with on‑chain settlement. This means you can see every trade on the blockchain and confirm details for yourself. The gasless feature can make trading cheaper to start. However, it is important to understand that there are risks in any form of trading, especially with derivatives like perpetual futures. Traders should only use funds they can afford to lose and should learn how the platform works before trading with real money.
In short, Sai Perps tries to combine the best parts of two worlds. It uses a CEX style experience that is fast and easy to use. At the same time, it keeps the strong points of a decentralized system: full on‑chain settlement and the ability to verify every trade. The goal is to give traders a reliable place to trade perpetual futures with good liquidity and strong risk controls.
Glossary and quick explanations
- Perpetual futures — A type of contract that can be held for an unlimited time. It is settled in cash and does not have a fixed delivery date. Traders pay or receive money based on the price difference between the contract and the asset. Learn more: Perpetual futures.
- Blockchain — A distributed database that stores records (blocks) in a chain. It is kept secure by a network of computers that agree on the data. Learn more: Blockchain.
- Liquidity — How easy it is to buy or sell an asset without causing big price moves. Higher liquidity means you can trade more easily. Learn more: Liquidity.
- Decentralized finance (DeFi) — Financial services built on blockchain using smart contracts. It aims to remove the need for traditional banks and middlemen. Learn more: Decentralized finance.
- Cryptocurrency wallet — A tool (software or hardware) that stores keys needed to use blockchains. It lets you send, receive, and manage digital currencies. Learn more: Cryptocurrency wallet.
- Gas — A fee charged to use a blockchain network. Gas is paid to run smart contracts and complete transactions. Sai’s gasless transactions are designed to reduce this burden for traders. Learn more: Gas (unit).
- Self‑custody — Holding your own private keys so you control your funds, rather than trusting a third party. Learn more: Cryptocurrency wallet.
- On‑chain settlement — Recording and finalizing trades directly on the blockchain. This creates an unchangeable, verifiable record of all trades. Learn more: Blockchain.
- Centralized exchange (CEX) — A traditional trading platform run by a company that holds customer funds and controls the trading system. Learn more: Centralized exchange.
These explanations are designed to help readers understand the technical terms used here. For deeper details, you can follow the linked Wikipedia pages.
Leave a Reply