On-chain perpetual-contract DEXs increased their share of global perpetual-contract trading volume from 0.11% in January 2023 to 12.33% in September 2026, according to a Castle Labs report cited by PANews on Oct. 2. The report also highlights rapid growth in on-chain RWA (real-world asset) perpetual contracts, which provide derivatives exposure to traditional assets including stocks, commodities and Pre-IPO investments. Their monthly trading volume reached about $147.5 billion in July 2026, representing 19.6% of all on-chain perpetual-contract volume that month.