Compliance Profile of Uniswap Labs
🔑 Key Company Data
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Trading Name | Uniswap Labs |
| Legal Entity | Universal Navigation Inc. |
| Activities | Development of the Uniswap Protocol, self-custody wallet, and APIs |
| Location | New York City, USA |
| Regulations | Unlicensed; operates as a software firm in the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector |
| Key People | Hayden Adams (Founder & CEO), Marvin Ammori (Former Chief Legal Officer), Renaud Besnard (VP of Growth) |
| Latest News | SEC investigation closed with no action (March 2025) |
| Latest Update | October 2024 |
| PCI DSS Level | Not applicable – no card data processed |
📦 Offering Overview
Uniswap Labs is the core development company behind the Uniswap Protocol, a leading decentralized exchange (DEX) built on Ethereum. The firm provides a non-custodial wallet, developer APIs, and tools for interacting with DeFi ecosystems.
The protocol facilitates billions in trading volume and is governed by a DAO using the UNI token. Uniswap Labs operates the web app and contributes to protocol upgrades, while the protocol itself remains decentralized.
⚖️ Regulatory & Legal
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Jurisdiction: United States (Delaware Corporation)
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Licenses: None – not registered with the SEC, FinCEN, or any global financial authority
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SEC Interaction: The SEC issued a Wells notice in 2024; the case was closed in March 2025 with no enforcement action taken.
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Legal Status: Operates legally as a software provider; not subject to financial conduct regulations
🔐 Security & Audit Profile
| Element | Status |
|---|---|
| Auditors | Trail of Bits, ConsenSys Diligence, ABDK |
| Last Audit | 2023 (Uniswap v3 & UniswapX) |
| Bug Bounty | Active – hosted via Immunefi |
| Smart Contract Risk | Low – heavily audited, publicly reviewed, and widely integrated |
🌍 Reputation & User Experience
| Category | Notes |
|---|---|
| User Ratings | Mixed – highly respected by developers, but consumer reviews are low |
| Trustpilot Score | 1.6 / 5 – complaints about scam tokens and lack of support |
| App Store Rating | 3.8 / 5 (iOS) – sleek UI, but bug complaints exist |
| Public Sentiment | Strong presence in DeFi, frequent media coverage |
👤 Team & Transparency
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Founder: Hayden Adams — publicly active, media-facing leadership
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Team: Public and known; includes legal and product specialists
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Transparency: High – regular updates, open GitHub, clear DAO interface
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Governance Model: Controlled via Uniswap DAO using UNI tokens
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Concerns: VC concentration (a16z & others hold large governance shares)
🔎 Due Diligence on Key Executives
Hayden Adams – Founder & CEO
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Background: Mechanical Engineering degree from Stony Brook University; former engineer at Siemens.
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Uniswap Creation: Founded Uniswap in 2018 after being introduced to Ethereum by a friend. Learned coding and developed the protocol as a solo project.
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Reputation: Recognized as a leading figure in DeFi; featured in Forbes and CoinDesk for his contributions to the crypto space.
Marvin Ammori – Former Chief Legal Officer
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Education: J.D. from Harvard Law School; B.A. from the University of Michigan.
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Experience: Noted for his work on net neutrality and internet freedom; served as General Counsel for Protocol Labs and Virgin Hyperloop One.
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Uniswap Role: Joined as CLO in 2020; instrumental in navigating legal challenges, including the SEC investigation.
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Transition: Stepped down in 2025 to focus on public policy; succeeded by Katherine Minarik.
Renaud Besnard – VP of Growth
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Background: Extensive experience in marketing and growth roles at Google, Uber, and PayPal.
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Uniswap Role: Leads marketing and international expansion efforts; recognized for strategic growth initiatives in the crypto space.
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Advisory Roles: Serves on the marketing advisory board for AIxBlock, indicating a strong presence in the AI and blockchain sectors.
🧾 PayRate42 Risk & Trust Rating
| Category | Rating | Color | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal Structure | Solid | 🟢 Green | U.S.-based, clearly incorporated |
| Regulatory Status | Unlicensed | 🟠 Orange | Operates legally, but without regulatory oversight |
| Compliance Risk | Moderate | 🟠 Orange | Risk lowered after SEC closure, but no global compliance framework |
| Audit & Security | Strong | 🟢 Green | Top-tier audits, bounty program |
| PCI DSS Scope | Not applicable | ⚫ Black | No card data or custodial services |
| Online Reputation | Mixed | 🔴 Red | Poor on Trustpilot, though strong dev and institutional respect |
| Transparency | High | 🟢 |
🧠 Conclusion
Uniswap Labs is a leading infrastructure player in the DeFi space, offering robust, open-source solutions with high industry trust. Despite lacking formal regulation, its proactive handling of legal challenges (notably the SEC case) and its strong technical base position it as a credible, long-term actor in the ecosystem.
🟠 Final Rating: ORANGE – “Legit but Unregulated”
Verdict: Technically trustworthy, but caution advised for non-technical users due to lack of support and regulation.
