TLDR:
- Uniswap has launched Unichain, a Layer-2 network built on Optimism’s OP Stack, promising faster transactions and lower gas fees
- The network completed testing with over 95 million transactions and 14.7 million smart contracts deployed
- Major protocols including Circle, Coinbase, Lido, and Morpho have started building on Unichain
- The network will share revenue: 65% to validators, 20% to Uniswap Labs, and 2.5% to Optimism Collective
- Unichain features a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) developed with Flashbots for enhanced security and trading capabilities
Uniswap Labs has officially launched Unichain, its new Layer-2 blockchain network.
The announcement came on February 11, 2025, following months of testing that saw the network process over 95 million transactions and deploy 14.7 million smart contracts.
The new network, built on Optimism’s OP Stack technology, aims to address two main challenges in the DeFi ecosystem: high transaction costs and slow processing times. Unichain promises to reduce gas fees by 95% compared to Ethereum’s mainnet while delivering one-second block times.
Hayden Adams, founder and CEO of Uniswap Labs, emphasized the network’s focus on decentralization.
“We’re here to make DeFi faster, cheaper, more decentralized, which is why we launched Unichain to be permissionless from day one,” Adams stated in a press release.
The network’s revenue structure divides earnings among several stakeholders. The Unichain Validation Network, responsible for securing the blockchain, will receive 65% of net revenue. Uniswap Labs will retain 20% of the revenue, while the Optimism Collective will receive 2.5% of gross revenue or 15% of net revenue, whichever is greater.
Several major protocols have already begun building on Unichain, including Circle, Coinbase, Lido, and Morpho. This early adoption suggests growing interest in the platform’s capabilities among established players in the cryptocurrency industry.
Unichain incorporates a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), developed in collaboration with Flashbots. This secure area enables more sensitive transactions and is designed to optimize the chain for DeFi operations, allowing for advanced trades and faster transaction completion.
The launch comes as part of Uniswap’s broader strategy to enhance its decentralized exchange ecosystem. The move follows the recent release of Uniswap v4, which introduced customizable features such as hooks for adjusting liquidity pools and fees.
The market response to Unichain’s launch showed cautious optimism. The UNI token experienced a 6% price increase following the announcement, though it later underwent a correction, mirroring the pattern seen after previous platform updates.
Unichain enters the market as a “stage-1” rollup, maintaining some centralized safeguards while incorporating decentralized elements. This approach allows for careful monitoring and adjustment during the network’s early phases.
The network joins a growing ecosystem of Layer-2 solutions built on the OP Stack, including Coinbase’s Base, Kraken’s Ink, World’s World chain, and Sony’s Soneium. Each chain serves specific use cases within the broader blockchain landscape.
Adams shared his vision for the future of Layer-2 networks, suggesting that most chains will eventually specialize rather than serve as general-purpose blockchains.
“We are anticipating a world of many, many different use cases, of which trading is a small subset,” he explained.
The development team has focused on optimizing Unichain for liquidity creation and trading. The network aims to serve applications that require direct access to liquidity pools while maintaining efficient operation for other DeFi activities.
Zero Trading Fees
Early adopters will benefit from zero fees during the initial launch period, as Uniswap Labs seeks to encourage platform adoption and ecosystem growth. This incentive structure aims to attract developers and users to build on the new network.
The launch represents a strategic move in the evolving DeFi landscape, where platforms increasingly seek solutions to balance performance, cost, and decentralization. Unichain’s success will depend on its ability to deliver on its promises of improved efficiency while maintaining security and reliability.
Testing data from October 2024 through the launch date demonstrates the network’s capacity to handle high transaction volumes, providing a foundation for its mainnet operations. The extensive testing period helped ensure system stability and security before the public release.
