That works out to a projected total of about 2.11 billion new $AERO, roughly 1.99 billion from Aerodrome plus 116 million from Velodrome’s share. Dividing those 116 million tokens across the 2.63 billion $VELO supply produces the 0.0440 rate. Because the rate depends on supply at launch, the project presents it as approximate.
What holders must do before and after launch
The migration is manual. Anyone self-custodying $AERO, $VELO, veAERO or veVELO must move through the upgrade portals at aerodrome.finance or velodrome.finance, which open when Aero launches at Oct. 22, 00:00 UTC (Oct. 21, 8 p.m. ET). Before upgrading, holders must claim any unclaimed rewards and rebases and clear active votes; anything left unclaimed cannot be recovered afterward.
$VELO held as xVELO must first be bridged back to OP Mainnet, and the upgrade needs a small amount of $ETH for network fees: $ETH on Base for Aerodrome, and $ETH on OP Mainnet for Velodrome. veNFTs that voted in the final epoch can upgrade one hour later, at Oct. 22, 01:00 UTC.
Locks carry over: remaining lock time is rounded up to the next full week, and permanent locks become maximum-duration stakes. sAERO replaces the weekly voting cycle with real-time allocation, so holders can steer $AERO rewards toward liquidity pools and earn exchange revenue as it accrues, with a 47-hour cooldown on initial allocation changes.
Why the merger matters for Base and Optimism DeFi
Aerodrome is the central trading and liquidity marketplace on Coinbase’s Base network, and Velodrome holds the equivalent role on Optimism; both were built by developer Dromos Labs on shared code. Aerodrome’s $AERO token already anchors much of Base’s DeFi activity, and folding Velodrome’s liquidity into it creates one venue across seven chains instead of two competing ones.
The mechanics also shift how emissions are allocated. Today locked-token holders vote weekly to direct the next week’s rewards; under Aero, sAERO holders allocate in real time. Aerodrome has leaned on these incentives to steer liquidity, and the change is a bet that continuous allocation beats the weekly cycle.
Exchanges run their own schedules. Aero says it has coordinated the upgrade with major exchanges, and Binance confirmed on Oct. 16 that it will support the swap for its users.
What happens next
The final voting round closes Oct. 21 at 6:59 p.m. ET, and the upgrade portals open an hour later. The new $AERO contract address will be published through official Aero channels on launch day, and transfers and trading open at the moment of upgrade. Holders should confirm any address against those official channels before approving a transaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to do anything before the Aerodrome-Velodrome merger?
Yes, if you self-custody $AERO, $VELO, veAERO or veVELO. Claim any unclaimed rewards and rebases, clear active votes, and bridge xVELO back to OP Mainnet before launch. Nothing migrates automatically.
What happens to my $VELO tokens?
Each $VELO converts to about 0.044 new $AERO, applied to both circulating and locked tokens. Complete the swap manually through the upgrade portal at velodrome.finance, which requires a small amount of $ETH on OP Mainnet for fees.
When does the Aero merger launch?
Aero launches Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. ET (Oct. 22, 00:00 UTC), when $AERO and $VELO emissions end and the upgrade portals open. Holders who voted in the final epoch can upgrade one hour later, at Oct. 22, 01:00 UTC.
Will my locked veAERO or veVELO carry over?
Yes. veAERO and veVELO convert into sAERO, with remaining lock time rounded up to the next full week and permanent locks becoming maximum-duration stakes.
