What is Uniswap Exchange and UNI token?

Last updated

January 22, 2026

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Uniswap is one of the world’s most popular decentralized exchanges (DEXs), enabling users to swap cryptocurrencies directly from their wallets without centralized intermediaries. Built on Ethereum, it introduced the automated market maker (AMM) model and continues to lead the way in DeFi innovation with Uniswap v4 and Unichain.

Use the multichain Bitcoin.com Wallet app, trusted by millions to safely and easily send, receive, buy, sell, trade, use, and manage Bitcoin and the most popular cryptocurrencies. The app supports UNI token and enables you to connect to Uniswap exchange.

What is Uniswap?

Uniswap is one of the most widely used decentralized exchanges (DEXs) in the world, allowing anyone to swap cryptocurrencies directly from their wallets - no sign-ups, no centralized intermediaries. Built on the Ethereum blockchain, Uniswap is a pioneer in the DeFi (decentralized finance) ecosystem and was the first major platform to introduce the automated market maker (AMM) model.

Unlike centralized exchanges (CEXs), Uniswap allows users to retain full control of their funds at all times. You don’t need to deposit assets into an exchange or rely on a third party. Instead, trades occur directly between users and liquidity pools governed by smart contracts.

How does Uniswap work?

Uniswap enables peer-to-peer trading through smart contracts. Rather than matching buyers and sellers through an order book, Uniswap uses liquidity pools - token pairs deposited by users - to facilitate instant trades.

When a user initiates a swap, they are trading against the pool, not another trader. The price is automatically determined using the constant product formula (x * y = k), ensuring that the product of the two token reserves always remains the same.

Example:

In a USDC/ETH pool, if a user buys ETH with USDC, the ETH supply in the pool decreases, increasing its price. This dynamic pricing mechanism is what powers the AMM model.

History of Uniswap

The design of Uniswap can be traced back to Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s October 2016 Reddit post titled "Let's run on-chain decentralized exchanges the way we run prediction markets," which described a prototype of a blockchain-based decentralized exchange.

In late 2017, Hayden Adams, the founder of Uniswap, began developing the protocol based on Buterin’s ideas. At the time, Adams had only recently started learning to code Ethereum smart contracts.

In August 2018, Uniswap received $100,000 in funding from the Ethereum Foundation, and by November 2018, Uniswap v1 was deployed.

Uniswap v1 allowed only ETH↔ERC-20 trading pairs.
Uniswap v2 (May 2020) expanded support to ERC-20↔ERC-20 trades.
Uniswap v3 (May 2021) introduced features like concentrated liquidity, fee tiers, and oracles, significantly improving capital efficiency but making liquidity provision more complex for casual users.

By 2022, Uniswap was already among the top three decentralized exchanges in terms of trading volume.

Fast forward to 2025, the protocol has evolved with Uniswap v4 and the launch of Unichain, making it more efficient, customizable, and multichain than ever before.

Key features of Uniswap

Permissionless and non-custodial

Anyone can access Uniswap using a Web3 wallet like the Bitcoin.com Wallet, swap tokens, or provide liquidity - no registration or KYC required.

Decentralized governance

Uniswap is governed by the community through the UNI token, allowing holders to vote on protocol upgrades and treasury decisions, similar to other on-chain governance models used across decentralized networks such as Bitcoin governance and Ethereum governance.

Multi-chain expansion

While Uniswap began on Ethereum, it now supports other blockchains and Ethereum Layer 2s, including:

This cross-chain support lowers fees and expands access to DeFi, aligning with how different blockchain layers interact and scale.

What’s new: Uniswap v4 and Unichain

Uniswap v4 (launched in early 2025) introduces major innovations to make the protocol more efficient and customizable:

Hooks: Custom smart contract functions that let developers add features like on-chain limit orders or time-weighted average pricing
Singleton architecture: Reduces gas fees by consolidating all liquidity pools into a single smart contract
Customizable fee tiers: Pools can dynamically adjust fees based on volatility or trading volume

Introducing Unichain

Alongside Uniswap v4, the Uniswap Foundation launched Unichain - a unified, cross-chain protocol designed to simplify and streamline the Uniswap experience across all networks.

Unichain aims to:

Simplify cross-chain swaps so users can easily trade assets across Ethereum, Arbitrum, Optimism, Base, and more
Standardize governance and liquidity across chains to ensure a consistent user and developer experience
Make Uniswap truly chain-agnostic, enabling seamless DeFi participation regardless of which network you use

As of 2025–2026 data, Unichain continues to account for roughly 75% of all Uniswap v4 transaction volume, while Ethereum’s share of v4 activity remains around 15–20%. Unichain also benefits from ~1-second block times, ~95% lower gas fees than Ethereum L1, and a TEE-based block builder that helps mitigate MEV (miner-extractable value) and improve execution efficiency.

Recent milestones (based on the latest available data)

Uniswap v4 TVL: Surpassed approximately $1.02 billion, first reached in mid-2025
Cumulative trading volume: Exceeded $110 billion since v4’s launch
Hooks adoption: Over 2,500 Hook-based pools deployed, with projects such as Bunni and EulerSwap each surpassing $1 billion in cumulative volume
UNI token price: Fluctuated throughout 2025 and into early 2026, reflecting broader market conditions rather than a fixed price level

Pros of using Uniswap

Self-custody - You stay in control of your funds at all times, a core principle of non-custodial wallets and decentralized finance
Access to new tokens early - Many new crypto projects debut on Uniswap before listing elsewhere
Earn trading fees - Add liquidity to earn a portion of the pool’s transaction fees
Open and transparent - All trades and smart contracts are publicly viewable on the blockchain using tools such as blockchain explorers

Risks to consider

Impermanent loss - You might earn fees as a liquidity provider, but price swings can reduce your total returns compared to holding tokens outright, a common risk in automated market makers and liquidity pools known as impermanent loss
Smart contract risk - Bugs and exploits can impact DeFi protocols
Fake or scam tokens - Anyone can list a token on Uniswap, making it important to verify token contract addresses before interacting with them

UNI token: More than governance

The UNI token was launched in 2020 as Uniswap's governance token. UNI holders can:

Vote on protocol changes and treasury spending
Shape development priorities
Propose upgrades to fee structures or supported chains

Note: UNI is not currently distributed as a reward for providing liquidity. UNI can be stored in compatible Web3 wallets that support ERC-20 tokens, such as the Bitcoin.com Wallet or other self-custodial Ethereum wallets.

How to use Uniswap

Connect a wallet like the Bitcoin.com Wallet or MetaMask
Choose the token pair you want to swap
Set slippage tolerance, review the price, and confirm the trade
Approve the transaction in your wallet and wait for confirmation

For step-by-step guidance on decentralized exchange workflows, How to use a DEX provides a practical overview.

Alternatives to Uniswap

Uniswap popularized the DEX model, but there are now many platforms offering similar services:

SushiSwap
PancakeSwap (BSC-based)
Curve Finance (optimized for stablecoin swaps)
Balancer (multi-token liquidity pools)

Final Thoughts

Uniswap has grown from a simple Ethereum-based DEX into one of the most influential platforms in decentralized finance. By pioneering automated market makers, it changed how crypto trading works forever. With the launch of Uniswap v4 and Unichain, the protocol is pushing DeFi toward a more efficient, cross-chain future.

For traders, Uniswap continues to provide permissionless access to thousands of tokens. For developers, its modular design opens the door to new financial applications. And for the broader crypto ecosystem, it shows how decentralized systems can scale without sacrificing openness or user control.

As of 2026, Uniswap remains a leader in decentralized trading - and its innovations suggest it will keep shaping the next era of DeFi.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Uniswap safe to use?
Uniswap is widely used and built on audited smart contracts, but using it is not risk-free. Because it is a decentralized protocol, there is no customer support or central authority to reverse transactions. Risks include smart contract vulnerabilities, fake or malicious tokens, and user error. Always verify token contract addresses and understand the risks before trading or providing liquidity.

Do I need the UNI token to use Uniswap?
No. You do not need UNI to swap tokens or provide liquidity on Uniswap. UNI is a governance token that allows holders to vote on protocol decisions, but it is not required for everyday use of the exchange.

Can I lose money by providing liquidity?
Yes. Liquidity providers can experience impermanent loss, which happens when the price of deposited tokens changes significantly compared to when they were added to the pool. While liquidity providers earn trading fees, those fees may not always offset losses caused by price volatility.

What’s the difference between Uniswap v3 and v4?
Uniswap v3 introduced concentrated liquidity, allowing liquidity providers to allocate capital within specific price ranges. Uniswap v4 builds on this by adding hooks, which enable custom logic such as dynamic fees and advanced trading features, while also reducing gas costs through a new contract architecture.

What is Unichain, and do I have to use it?
Unichain is a Layer 2 network developed to improve the performance and efficiency of Uniswap, especially for v4. It offers faster transactions and lower fees compared to Ethereum mainnet. You do not have to use Unichain to access Uniswap, but many users choose it for lower costs and faster execution.

Is Uniswap legal to use?
Uniswap is a decentralized protocol, not a company offering services in a specific jurisdiction. In many regions, using Uniswap is legal, but laws and regulations vary by country. Users are responsible for understanding and complying with local regulations related to cryptocurrency trading and taxes.