Uniswap Teases V4 Release After Missing Q3 2024 Target

Uniswap Labs has hinted that the highly anticipated Uniswap v4 is "coming soon," following the decentralized exchange's failure to meet its initial target for a Q3 2024 launch.

The tease was posted on X (formerly Twitter) on January 2, accompanied by a unicode image that read “2025,” alongside the message “v4 is coming soon.” The post did not specify a release date, but it generated excitement about the next iteration of the popular decentralized finance (DeFi) platform.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Uniswap Labs has been dropping hints about major updates in the works for 2025, including v4, the Unichain, and a few other surprises. In a December 31 post, the team promised that 2025 would be “a very pink year,” referencing upcoming developments.

Uniswap founder Hayden Adams first unveiled his vision for v4 in June 2023, releasing the draft code and inviting public feedback. He emphasized that the development process would be collaborative and could take months. "We expect this will be a months-long process," Adams said at the time.

Delayed Launch

Originally, Uniswap v4 was scheduled for a tentative launch in Q3 2024, following Ethereum’s Dencun upgrade. However, the update is still in the testing phase, with no specific release date confirmed.

To ensure the protocol's security, Uniswap launched a $15.5 million bug bounty program in November, offering rewards for discovering vulnerabilities in v4's core smart contracts. The program continues to run, with payouts starting at $2,000 for finding issues that result in code changes.

Key Features of Uniswap V4

Uniswap v4 promises to introduce several architectural changes and exciting new features, including Hooks, which will allow developers to run custom code before and after swaps. This feature will enable new functionalities such as limit orders, custom oracles, fee management, and automated liquidity management.

Other key updates will include:

• Dynamic fees that adjust according to market conditions

• Gas savings for users

• Flash accounting for more efficient transaction handling

• Native ETH support

• The introduction of multiple pool types, providing greater flexibility for liquidity providers

Continued Dominance in DeFi

Uniswap remains the leader in decentralized exchange (DEX) trading volume, maintaining its position as the largest DEX by volume. In December 2024, total DEX trading volume soared to a record high of $462 billion, with Uniswap contributing $106 billion to that figure, according to data from DefiLlama.

Despite the strong performance in the DeFi space, Uniswap's native token, UNI, has not been immune to market fluctuations. The token recently gained 6%, reaching $14, but remains down 69% from its all-time high of $44.92 in May 2021, according to CoinGecko data.

As Uniswap v4 nears its eventual release, all eyes will be on the platform's ability to maintain its dominance and deliver on the promise of a more powerful and flexible DeFi ecosystem.