The dYdX community has officially launched Surge, a nine-month incentive program aimed at increasing trading activity and platform engagement on the dYdX Chain. With up to $20 million in DYDX tokens allocated from the community treasury, Surge represents one of the largest sustained trading reward initiatives in decentralized finance to date.
Overview of the dYdX Surge Program
Approved through governance proposal #236, Surge will distribute DYDX rewards across nine monthly trading seasons, running from April through December 2025. The program is designed to attract new users, re-engage previous dYdX v3 and v4 traders, and create consistent trading activity on the dYdX Chain.
Incentives are awarded based on a transparent points-based leaderboard system developed by Chaos Labs. Each taker trade on the dYdX Chain earns points, with higher point totals leading to greater DYDX rewards at the end of each season.
A Redesigned Incentive Structure
Unlike prior trading competitions focused on volume or profitability, Surge segments reward allocation across three categories to better reflect meaningful engagement:
General (50%) – Based on taker trading fees paid, rewarding high-volume participants.
Retail (25%) – Designed for users trading via the official dYdX web and mobile interfaces.
Activation (25%) – Targets wallet reactivations, stakers, and users engaging with newly launched features or boosted markets.
This structure allows for more inclusive participation, providing opportunities for a diverse range of traders to benefit from the program.
No Sign-Up Required
Surge is permissionless by design. Users don’t need to enroll or manually claim rewards. All taker activity on the dYdX Chain is automatically counted toward leaderboard points. Each season ends with the distribution of DYDX rewards based on final rankings.
To maximize earnings, traders can take additional actions such as:
Using the official mobile app or website
Trading in designated boosted markets
Reactivating previously dormant wallets
Staking DYDX to a validator on the dYdX Chain
Program Goals and Long-Term Impact
The primary goal of Surge is to accelerate usage and liquidity on the dYdX Chain in a sustainable manner. By distributing a portion of community-held tokens as trading rewards, the protocol aligns user participation with long-term growth.
As of Q1 2025, dYdX has generated more than $270 billion in trading volume and over $50 million in net protocol revenue. Surge builds on this momentum by offering structured, seasonal incentives to foster continued adoption.
Chaos Labs, the program’s administrator, will monitor performance and publish reports at the end of each season. The dollar value of rewards per season will also be subject to DAO ratification, with flexibility to adjust distribution strategies based on market conditions.
How To Track and Participate
Traders can view their real-time leaderboard ranking and points through the Chaos Labs analytics portal. Boosted markets and activation opportunities will be announced throughout the program on dYdX’s governance and community channels.
Surge’s first season is already underway, and community members can expect ongoing governance discussions on future enhancements, budget allocations, and eligibility criteria.
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