Uniswap CEO Addresses Deployment Bribery Allegations

Uniswap CEOHayden Adams Denies Bribery Claims

Uniswap CEO– Uniswap’s CEO Hayden Adams has firmly denied recent allegations on social media that Uniswap demanded money from decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols for deployments. On September 12, Adams took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify that neither Uniswap Labs nor the Uniswap Foundation charges for protocol deployments.

Background of the Allegations

The controversy began after X user @wagmialexander claimed that Uniswap had requested $20 million for a deployment deemed ineffective. This claim followed a tweet by Kene Ezeji-Okoye of Millicent Labs, who alleged that Uniswap charged $10 million for protocol deployments and an additional $10 million in user incentives related to trading carbon credits.

Uniswap has recently faced regulatory scrutiny from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which accused Uniswap Labs of illegally providing leveraged cryptocurrency trading to U.S. retail investors. On September 4, Uniswap Labs settled the charges by agreeing to a $175,000 civil penalty and pledging to comply with the Commodity Exchange Act.

Response to SEC Allegations

Earlier in April, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) alleged that Uniswap was operating an unregistered securities exchange. In response, Uniswap asserted that it is a software company, not an exchange, broker, or clearing firm. CEO Hayden Adams expressed frustration with the SEC’s focus, stating that it appears to prioritize protecting opaque systems over consumer protection.

Uniswap’s Position and Market Status

Despite recent controversies, Uniswap remains one of the leading decentralized finance protocols, facilitating token swaps across numerous blockchain networks. As of September 12, Uniswap holds approximately $4.35 billion in total value locked (TVL), according to DefiLlama, reflecting its significant role in the DeFi space.

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