Decentralized exchange (DEX) Uniswap has revealed its long-awaited v4 upgrade is slated to launch in Q3 2024.
The new version will leverage Ethereum’s upcoming Dencun upgrade to optimize contract functionality and reduce gas fees.
TLDR
- Uniswap v4 launch is slated for Q3 2024, will leverage Ethereum’s upcoming Dencun upgrade
- v4 will introduce “hooks” that allow custom logic to be injected into smart contracts, enabling dynamic adjustments and complex functionality
- EIP-1153 will enable transient storage, allowing gas fee optimizations like “flash accounting” to reduce swap fees
- v4 code will undergo comprehensive auditing before launch to ensure security
- UNI price jumped 10% on the v4 announcement to over $7.60, extending its weekly rally to 15%
Uniswap v4 will introduce “hooks”, which allow developers to inject custom logic into smart contracts at specific points. This enables dynamic adjustments to pools, swaps, fees and other parameters based on changing market conditions or platform needs.
For users, hooks promise reduced swap fees, better strategies for managing assets on Uniswap, and access to instant swaps or other new features. Developers gain much more flexibility compared to rigid smart contracts to build innovative DEX use cases.
Now that the launch of Dencun on Mainnet has been scheduled for March 2024, we're excited to provide an update to the community! ????
Uniswap v4's launch is tentatively set for Q3 2024.
From community-built Hooks (https://t.co/WyaGr1Ti1t), to events, to Twitter Spaces, the…
— Uniswap Foundation (@UniswapFND) February 15, 2024
A key enabler for optimizing v4 is Ethereum’s EIP-1153, launching with Dencun in March 2024, which allows transient storage in contracts. This will let Uniswap conduct “flash accounting” during swaps to drastically lower gas fees. EIP-1153 also opens up design options for hooks to be integrated at low cost at different points in a liquidity pool’s lifecycle.
To ensure a smooth launch, v4’s code will undergo extensive auditing internally and by professional audit firms before release.
A community code audit contest is also planned to validate security. The code is currently frozen while final improvements are made before rigorous testing begins.
The v4 announcement sparked a rally in Uniswap’s UNI governance token, with prices jumping 10% to over $7.60.
UNI has posted 15% gains for the week as traders anticipate the efficiency upgrades from v4 to attract liquidity and boost Uniswap’s overall DEX volumes.
If Uniswap can deliver on the promised gas reductions and flexibility using transient storage and hooks, v4 may significantly improve capital efficiency for liquidity providers while maintaining the DEX’s signature ease of token swapping.
This could increase Uniswap’s central role in decentralized finance and bring another growth spurt for adoption of its UNI token.