Key Takeaways
- Vladimir Novakovski is a tech and finance innovator who co-founded Lunchclub and founded Lighter, a decentralized exchange for perpetual futures.
- He began his career in high-frequency trading at Citadel and later held leadership roles in machine learning and engineering at Quora and Addepar.
- Through Lighter, mobile apps, and trading competitions, Novakovski is advancing DeFi while making trading more accessible and engaging.
Vladimir Novakovski is known as the co-founder of Lunchclub, an AI-powered platform that connects professionals through personalized networking, and the founder and CEO of Lighter, a decentralized exchange specializing in perpetual futures trading.
He began his career in high-frequency trading at Citadel, where he developed algorithmic trading strategies; later, he led machine learning projects at Quora to improve content recommendation and user engagement, and managed engineering teams at Addepar, focusing on building scalable financial software solutions.
Early Life and Career
Vladimir “Vlad” Novakovski immigrated to the United States from Russia as a child and quickly showed exceptional talent in computing and physics, earning spots on the U.S. teams for both the International Olympiad in Informatics and the International Physics Olympiad. He enrolled at Harvard University at 16 and completed the four-year program in three years, graduating in 2004 at age 19 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.
A Career in Finance
After graduating, Novakovski launched his career in quantitative finance. In 2004, he joined Citadel Investment Group as an Associate in Quantitative Research, reportedly recruited personally by CEO Ken Griffin, where he helped build high-frequency trading systems for foreign exchange markets.
In 2005, he moved to Graham Capital Management, where he served for over seven years as Portfolio Manager and Director. There, he managed a large quantitative portfolio and developed advanced trading strategies.
Transition to Technology
In 2012, Novakovski shifted to the tech industry, becoming Head of Machine Learning at Quora, leading initiatives to improve content recommendations and user engagement. Two years later, he became Vice President of Engineering at Addepar, where he oversaw the rebuilding of engineering teams and enhanced the platform’s stability and scalability.
Entrepreneurship and Web3 Ventures
In 2017, Novakovski co-founded Lunchclub, an AI-driven networking platform designed for curated one-on-one professional introductions, and served as CEO. After rapid growth slowed in 2022, he pivoted the company into Lighter, a decentralized finance venture focused on perpetual futures, while retaining 80% of the original team.
In addition to his entrepreneurial work, Novakovski is an active angel investor in technology startups, including Cognition, Modal, Fabric Crypto, and Daimo.
The Founding of Lighter: Novakovski’s Leap into DeFi
In 2022, he founded Lighter, a decentralized exchange (DEX) for perpetual futures. Built on a custom Layer 2 Ethereum blockchain with Zero-Knowledge Rollups, the platform delivers low-latency performance while maintaining DeFi transparency and self-custody. Its public mainnet went live in October 2025.
Lighter lets retail users trade with zero fees while advanced traders pay for faster access to order flow, similar to how Payment for Order Flow works in traditional finance. The platform has connections with Robinhood, raised nearly $21 million from investors including Haun Ventures and Craft Ventures, reached a $1.5 billion valuation, and launched its native token, the Lighter Infrastructure Token ($LIT), in December 2025.
How Lighter Brings Transparency and Speed to DeFi
In a September 22, 2025 interview on the YouTube channel Flirting with Models, Vlad Novakovski discussed Lighter. He said the platform was created as an alternative to centralized exchanges, running as a custom Layer 2 rollup that uses zero-knowledge proofs and a private transaction sequencer to process transactions off-chain while keeping verification and settlement on Ethereum.
Novakovski also explained how it works. Zero-knowledge proofs ensure orders and state updates are correct, and if something goes wrong, users can withdraw funds directly from Ethereum. Lighter provides initial liquidity through protocol-managed pools and charges no fees for retail traders, while professional traders pay for faster access and specialized services.
Lighter Launches Mobile App and Trading Contest
In a recent X post, Lighter announced the launch of its new mobile app and the return of its trading competitions. The first contest is mobile-only, offering a 100,000 LIT prize pool, and reflects the platform’s focus on accessibility and community engagement.
The mobile app allows users to trade, track portfolios, and join competitions directly from their phones, making it easier than ever to participate. Lighter also hinted that this is just the first of several updates planned for the week, promising more opportunities and rewards for its users.
Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations
Lighter has built strong connections to help expand its reach and credibility. The platform has a close relationship with Robinhood, with CEO Vlad Tenev serving as an advisor, and Novakovski’s early mentorship of Tenev has strengthened this tie.
Beyond Robinhood, Lighter continues to explore partnerships in the DeFi space and benefits from industry connections and backing from key investors, including Haun Ventures and Craft Ventures.
Novakovski’s Vision for DeFi
Vlad Novakovski wants DeFi to be open, fast, and transparent. With Lighter, he aims to give both regular and professional traders equal opportunities, reduce reliance on centralized exchanges, and make digital asset trading more accessible to everyone. He envisions a future where decentralized platforms can compete with traditional finance while empowering users with more control and trust over their assets.
Final Thoughts
Vladimir Novakovski’s journey from a young prodigy to a leader in finance, tech, and DeFi shows his vision and drive to innovate. From Citadel to Lunchclub and now Lighter, he has combined technical expertise with entrepreneurship to create fast, transparent, and accessible platforms. With Lighter, he is shaping the future of decentralized finance, empowering users, fostering community engagement, and building strategic partnerships that open new opportunities for traders and investors alike.
