How Odos Became DeFi’s Power Engine

In an increasingly complicated and fragmented DeFi landscape, Odos has established itself as a significant player, functioning as a fast, smart, and seamless execution layer for decentralized trading. By honing in on routing optimization and providing extensive cross-chain liquidity access, Odos is tackling one of DeFi's greatest hurdles—delivering optimal trading results amid a chaotic environment.

Leading that effort is Ahmet Ozcan , Co-founder and CEO of Odos During this conversation, he elaborates on the origins of the platform, what differentiates its technology, and why the future of DeFi may hinge on unseen infrastructure, intelligent agent systems, and advanced on-chain execution techniques.

Can you share your journey to Web3? 

I actually got into crypto and Web3 a bit later in the game. My background is in AI, having spent a significant amount of time at IBM, where I managed an AI development team. So, as AI began gaining traction again around 2020, I ventured into crypto.

After leaving IBM to launch my own venture, my ambition was to merge the worlds of AI and cryptocurrency. The other founders shared a similar vision, creating a great synergy. The pivotal moment occurred when I connected with the creators of The Graph Protocol, and we began collaborating on various projects.

Then came 2021, the summer of DeFi—it truly captured my attention. I found the experience rather frustrating, particularly with decentralized exchanges, due to their fragmentation. Like many entrepreneurs, I was motivated by my dissatisfaction to address a real challenge.

My background in physics made optimization a crucial aspect of my focus. Thus, I zeroed in on decentralized finance and routing optimization to tackle the fragmentation issue. Although my entry into Web3 was somewhat delayed, my professional history offers a unique perspective.

Can you explain how the Odos routing algorithm operates and what makes it stand out?

Picture DeFi as a city map, where each token represents a locality and swaps are the connections between them. To go from your starting token to your desired one, you usually navigate through several intermediary tokens.

Odos scrutinizes all potential routes across the decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and liquidity pools we support and pinpoints the most effective path from origin to destination. We initiate the process by pulling in a vast array of swap possibilities; then, we methodically eliminate options that don’t meet certain criteria—like those necessitating extra tokens or incurring high gas costs. This iterative filtering process narrows the choices down until we discover the most intelligent, advantageous path for your tokens.

What sets Odos apart is our approach; we don’t simply piece together routes sequentially. Instead, we conduct a comprehensive optimization across the entire graph of potential swaps and token combinations. This methodology enables us to consistently uncover superior combinations and offer users better pricing.

Currently, we’re also developing a machine learning layer that builds on our existing infrastructure to learn from historical trades, allow for more informed decision-making at an accelerated pace, and respond to fluctuating market conditions in real-time. The system, therefore, improves continuously.

If you could instantly amplify one aspect of the DeFi ecosystem tenfold to enhance Odos, what would it be?

I would drastically enhance the adoption of agentic systems—focusing on agent-based DeFi and intent-driven interfaces. As we gradually transition away from the traditional click-focused DeFi interfaces of today, users will increasingly depend on autonomous agents to act on their behalf.

Instead of manually executing each trade, users will simply express their intentions, such as 'secure me the best price' or 'rebalance my assets.' This shift would lead to an enhanced user experience while minimizing security vulnerabilities. Agents can work around the clock, executing tasks far more efficiently than any individual trying to manage everything manually.

Therefore, a thriving agent ecosystem would significantly stimulate the demand for the kind of infrastructure we’re developing at Odos.

How does Odos confront and adapt to the persistent challenges of liquidity fragmentation across different chains and DEXs, especially given the emergence of Layer 2 solutions and appchains?

Liquidity fragmentation has always been a challenge, and it’s evolving with the emergence of Layer 2 solutions and appchains becoming more prevalent. Right now, we’re addressing fragmentation within individual chains—consolidating as many DEXs and liquidity sources as we can to provide users with optimal execution. However, we are also crafting a long-term strategy.

We envision a future where users—and particularly agent-based systems—are indifferent to which chain they are utilizing; they simply want the best possible outcome. Accordingly, we are laying the groundwork for Odos to function as an execution mechanism across various environments, managing cross-chain intentions, messaging protocols, and even permitting liquidity when necessary.

We don’t subscribe to the idea of frequently shifting liquidity among new chains as a viable solution—that’s inefficient. For instance, consider what the OP Superchain is doing to enhance interoperability in its ecosystem. That’s an excellent starting point.

When it comes to determining which chains to support, we observe closely where liquidity and user interest are shifting. Not every chain warrants immediate integration. We take several factors into account—user demand, sustainability, total value locked, and the ecosystem’s activity level. Our aim is to engage users where they are without overstretching our resources.

How does Odos enhance the overall efficiency and price discovery in decentralized markets? Do you believe DEX aggregators are underappreciated for their contributions?

Yes, unquestionably—they often don’t receive the recognition they deserve. DEX aggregators like Odos are crucial for making DeFi markets operate more efficiently. By intelligently routing orders through fragmented liquidity pools, we decrease spreads, standardize pricing, and make arbitrage less exploitable.

We help ensure that liquidity flows to where it’s needed most, thereby enhancing user experiences—even for individuals who aren't directly utilizing Odos. We serve as an unseen backbone, coordinating the movement of assets behind the scenes. Many individuals are unaware that it’s not just a mix of DEXs; it’s the foundational infrastructure that fuels DeFi.

How do you go about deciding which protocols and chains to incorporate? What criteria do they need to meet?

This question comes up frequently from new protocols and chains reaching out to us. We consider several factors, such as liquidity depth, user interest, technical robustness, and security. Our guiding principle is always the quality of user execution—does this integration substantially enhance it?

We also examine the compatibility of the protocol and how stable it is, as well as the ease with which we can monitor and maintain it, ensuring there’s genuine economic activity—not just a temporary surge followed by abandonment. We strive to balance both activity and security, the two most crucial elements.

Odos has integrated with numerous prominent protocols. What constitutes a valuable or strategic partnership in your view?

We assess strategic partnerships based on three primary criteria: substantial liquidity, innovative infrastructure, and mutual distribution benefits. An optimal partner either contributes necessary assets and liquidity pools, supplies infrastructure like bridges or intent layers to enhance our routing capabilities, or assists in extending our reach to a broader user base.

We also place a premium on philosophical alignment—collaborators who share beliefs in abstraction, composability, and minimizing user friction. The strategic advantages flow both ways: benefiting both the protocols we link with and the platforms that integrate us—such as wallets, dashboards, meta-aggregators, and agents. These affiliates utilize Odos as a backend system to ensure optimal trades, which further amplifies our execution capabilities and fortifies the ecosystem.

As DeFi starts to intersect with AI-driven agents, modular execution, and real-world assets (RWAs), how does Odos plan to maintain its relevance and adaptability?

We’re already positioning Odos to be the execution backbone for this next evolution in DeFi. Currently, Odos is being leveraged behind the scenes by early intent-focused systems. We’re designing interfaces for goal-oriented execution, enabling agents to initiate actions such as rebalancing or liquidating without the need for minute management.

On the modular execution side, we’re making Odos compatible so it can integrate seamlessly into diverse environments—whether it’s rollups, shared sequencing, or programmable automation layers.

When it comes to RWAs, the potential is enormous. These assets still necessitate efficient and secure on-chain execution, especially in their formative stages. Whether dealing with tokenized treasuries or real estate, Odos ensures optimal transaction routing.

Could Odos evolve into something greater than a DEX aggregator—perhaps a comprehensive execution layer for on-chain finance?

I must say, I find the label 'aggregator' somewhat limiting, as it implies we merely collect liquidity. In reality, we view ourselves more as an agentic navigation layer for on-chain finance.

As DeFi transitions towards intent-based and agentic systems, we require infrastructure capable of translating high-level objectives into optimized on-chain execution. While advanced agents like large language models excel in planning, they struggle with real-time dynamics inherent to DeFi. That’s precisely where Odos steps in—we’re paving the way for that future.

What technological or structural trends within DeFi today do you believe are underrated, and how is Odos preparing for them?

One trend that stands out is the importance of RWAs and the necessity for permissioned execution. Many partners require compliance with KYC and AML regulations to access permissioned liquidity pools. We’re constructing Odos to accommodate these needs without compromising on execution quality, allowing institutional users to remain on-chain instead of reverting to centralized exchanges or restricted environments.

The second trend that often flies under the radar is the advancement of agentic systems. A lot of folks still perceive these as just basic bots. Yet, having a background in AI, I can see how multi-agent systems are already making waves beyond just the realm of Web3. Once experts in AI dive into crypto, the way individuals engage with decentralized finance (DeFi) is poised to shift dramatically.

What would an ideal decentralized trading experience entail? What obstacles remain?

It should genuinely feel effortless. Users simply articulate their desires, and the system seamlessly takes care of everything else. Our aim is to create an experience so intuitive that we become virtually unnoticed.

The system needs to be chain-agnostic, minimize trust dependencies, and operate efficiently. Yet, managing risk and ensuring a smooth user experience still present significant challenges. In many regions, people still have a greater sense of security with centralized exchanges. They often find themselves grappling with wallet usage, the risks associated with smart contracts, and miner extractable value (MEV).

However, agents function independently of trust—they execute tasks based on programming. By using agentic execution, we can help dismantle these mental roadblocks and move closer to a fully decentralized experience.

Could you elaborate on the roadmap for Odos?

We shared our roadmap at the start of the year. This year, our focus is on enhancing cross-chain capabilities—not merely bridging but crafting seamless experiences for DeFi enthusiasts. Additionally, we're expanding our horizon beyond EVM-compatible chains, with Solana leading the charge.

In the longer term—and even within this year—we’re gearing up to integrate Real-World Assets (RWAs), collaborating with institutional partners, and figuring out the actual requirements for agentic systems. We're engaging in some truly enlightening discussions with these partners, and we're eagerly anticipating the launch of innovative solutions by next year based on our findings.