Uniswap Labs received a Wells notice from the Securities and Exchange Commission warning the company that the regulator intends to pursue legal action. The company argues that tokens are not securities and that most tokens traded on the protocol are not investment contracts. Recently, there have been discussions about turning on the fee switch for the UNI token. However, this has not been implemented, and Uniswap Labs insists that UNI does not fit the definition of a security since there is no investment contract between the company and token holders.
Thursday, April 11, 2024Uniswap Labs is being sued by the SEC. The Uniswap Protocol is a credibly neutral infrastructure. It acts like an electric grid that can be built upon by other companies and applications to utilize the benefits of trustless liquidity. The company has no control over what is listed or who builds on the protocol — it is merely a software publisher operating a front end.
DeFi is being tested in legal battles. Avi Eisenberg leveraged Mango Markets' code to extract $110 million, arguing that because the code permitted it, he didn't commit a crime. At the same time, the SEC's case against Uniswap Labs could determine how decentralized DeFi can be and whether the vision of a fully autonomous, code-based financial system is realizable.
Uniswap Labs argues that the protocol fully complies with US law and that the decentralized exchange does not fall under the “securities exchange” or “broker” definition. It notes that over 90% of trading volume is on commodities pairs, stablecoins, or out of the country, expanding beyond the SEC's jurisdiction. Lawyers for the Ripple and Grayscale cases are providing outside counsel, and Uniswap is confident it will win if forced to litigate.
Uniswap Labs has acquired the interactive onchain survival experience “Crypto: The Game.” In its first two seasons, users bought in with 0.1 ETH, joined alliances, completed challenges, and voted each other out to win the pot. Uniswap promises new twists and features for season 3.
Uniswap Labs, Circle, and the Copenhagen Business School have released a paper explaining how traditional financial factors affect the crypto market. Since 2019, digital asset prices have been composed of monetary policy, broad market risk premium, and crypto-specific demand. Two-thirds of Bitcoin's 2022 decline can be attributed to contractionary monetary policy. 2023 and beyond's bull market has been driven by the decrease in crypto risk. Day-to-day Bitcoin volatility can be explained best by adoption and risk premium shocks.
Uniswap Labs has recently highlighted the challenges faced by intents-based systems in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space, particularly their fragmentation and lack of a unified cross-chain standard. To address these issues, Uniswap has collaborated with Across Protocol to propose ERC-7683, a new standard aimed at creating a universal filler network that enhances the user experience across various applications. The mechanics of ERC-7683 involve users signing a cross-chain order, with their funds being held in escrow within a settlement contract. Multiple fillers then compete to fulfill the order at the destination, and the successful filler executes the action, releasing the funds. This standard is designed to streamline the process for applications, fillers, and users alike. Applications can route intents to a broader network, fillers face lower barriers to entry, and users benefit from quicker fills and reduced gas fees. Importantly, the implementation of ERC-7683 is open to anyone, promoting widespread adoption and innovation. In addition to this proposal, Uniswap has been actively enhancing its platform with features like limit orders, which allow users to buy and sell tokens at predetermined prices without constant market monitoring. The limit orders are gas-free and can be set for any swap size, providing flexibility and ease of use. Uniswap has also introduced UniswapX, a new auction-based protocol that aggregates trading across various automated market makers (AMMs) and liquidity sources. This initiative aims to improve liquidity, pricing, and transaction efficiency while offering protection against miner extractable value (MEV) and eliminating costs for failed transactions. The ongoing development of Uniswap, including the introduction of hooks in version 4, allows for greater customization of liquidity pools. These hooks enable developers to innovate by adding new functionalities, such as dynamic fee adjustments and custom order types, thereby enhancing the platform's capabilities. Overall, Uniswap is positioning itself as a core financial infrastructure within the DeFi ecosystem, focusing on community engagement and feedback to drive its evolution. The introduction of standards like ERC-7683 and features like limit orders and UniswapX reflects a commitment to improving user experience and fostering a competitive environment for liquidity providers and traders alike.