1inch has launched Aqua to the public, introducing what it describes as the first shared liquidity layer for decentralized finance (DeFi). The product follows Aqua’s developer launch in November 2025 and is now available as a self-custodial alternative to DeFi’s traditional pool-based model.

ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands, July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 1inch, the DeFi ecosystem, announced the full public launch of Aqua, a self-custodial shared liquidity layer that allows liquidity providers to use the same wallet balance across multiple positions without locking assets in liquidity pools.

According to 1inch, Aqua is designed to support more capital-efficient liquidity provisioning. The protocol works as a registry: a user connects a wallet, approves a token balance, and creates liquidity positions that can access that balance. When Aqua receives a swap order that matches a position’s criteria, it pulls the requested tokens from the wallet and returns the received tokens and fees in a single atomic transaction. If no swap meets the conditions, the user’s tokens remain in the wallet and under the user’s control.

“The liquidity provisioning space is broken, but you only see how broken once there’s an alternative. Today, that alternative has arrived. With Aqua, liquidity providers no longer have to accept the inefficient pool structure they’ve put up with for years,” said Sergej Kunz, 1inch co-founder. “DeFi doesn’t just need more liquidity. It needs more useful liquidity, active wherever demand appears. We built Aqua so providers get that reach without giving up custody: your tokens stay in your wallet until the moment a swap fills.”

Alongside the product launch, 1inch Network Incentives has also gone live as a liquidity reward program for Aqua. The program is led by Degensoft Ltd (BVI) and delivered through Merkl. The 1inch Foundation has committed 10 million 1INCH in provider rewards, with an additional 500,000 USDC from the 1inch DAO. 1inch said the initiative is intended to accelerate liquidity growth and swap activity across supported pairs. Program terms, markets and safeguards are outlined in the published campaign configuration.

1inch said the existing pool-based model remains a major obstacle to DeFi’s ability to scale and bring traditional finance capital on chain. Under the current model, liquidity providers deposit assets into pools and give up custody, while active capital is spread across protocols, pairs and price ranges. That structure is one reason liquidity provision has become increasingly fragmented across the DeFi market, particularly as protocols expand across chains and trading ranges.

The company cited on-chain research by Dune commissioned by 1inch, saying that 85% of concentrated liquidity across major DEXs was underutilized in the first half of 2026, or roughly $1.6 billion of the $1.84 billion tracked. That figure includes about $542 million sitting fully out of range in an average week, which 1inch said resulted in an estimated $150 million in fees foregone per year.

Aqua is designed to let the same wallet balance back multiple positions at once. Unlike the traditional model, in which liquidity must be split across pools and positions, Aqua allows a single balance to support multiple quotes simultaneously. For example, 1inch said a $100,000 balance can support three positions collectively quoting $300,000 of liquidity, with the potential to quote more. The underlying tokens remain available to every position at all times, and swaps can only execute against the assets actually held in the wallet.

Positions on Aqua can be full range, concentrated or pegged, depending on the selected pair and position type. Users can open and close positions themselves, with no lock-up. Exposure is limited by the tokens actually held, not by the theoretical combined size of every position created. If a wallet cannot cover a swap, Aqua does not call on those tokens.

From today, users can create positions across 13 EVM chains, including Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, Robinhood Chain and BNB Chain. Aqua also launches with several additional functions, including a liquidity leaderboard, an incentives screen, liquidity map visualizations, batch position creation, provider profiles with cross-chain positions, sub-wallets and an AI-assisted liquidity provisioning flow via the 1inch Business MCP, with safe batch deployment coming soon.

1inch said Aqua has undergone eight independent security audits by OpenZeppelin, Bailsec, Hashlock, Hexens, MixBytes, Nethermind, Theori and Decurity. The company said the protocol’s fully self-custodial design means it never holds user tokens, and that a swap can only move assets actually present in the provider’s wallet at the time it fills. It added that revocation stops new fills once confirmed on-chain. Aqua is also designed to prevent JIT fee sniping because each position has a single owner, leaving no shared-fee moment for bots to exploit.

While Aqua is designed to keep exposure bounded and providers in control of their own tokens, 1inch said swap fees are not guaranteed, prices can move against a position, and providers face market and smart-contract risk. The company also stated that Aqua is intended for experienced users and that it involves risk, including the loss of funds.

About 1inch

1inch says it accelerates decentralized finance with a crypto trading experience for 27 million users. It says the platform is a leading venue for low-cost, efficient token swaps with more than $100 million in daily trades. The ecosystem also includes a self-custodial wallet, a portfolio tracker for managing digital assets, a business portal offering access to its technology, and a debit card for crypto spending. 1inch said it is continuing to simplify DeFi for users.

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Aqua involves risk, including loss of funds. It is built for experienced users. Do your own research. Not financial advice. Incentive rewards are variable, not guaranteed, and subject to the program’s published terms.