Uniswap’s Bold Governance Overhaul Sparks UNI Rally—DeFi’s Sleeping Giant Wakes Up

Uniswap just dropped a governance bombshell—and the market's eating it up. The decentralized exchange's token UNI is surging as traders bet on its revamped decision-making framework. Here's why this isn't just another protocol upgrade.

Decentralization Gets an Upgrade

The new structure ditches bureaucratic bottlenecks for streamlined voting. Early metrics suggest whales and retail are both piling in—turns out crypto investors love democracy when it pumps their bags.

Price Action Tells the Story

UNI's double-digit percentage jump proves even in 2025, governance tokens can still move markets. The rally defies the usual 'buy the rumor, sell the news' pattern—probably because no one expected actual progress from a DAO.

The Bottom Line

While TradFi boards waste time on golf retreats, DeFi's proving governance can be more than PowerPoint virtue signaling. Just don't mention that time UNI holders voted themselves treasury access—some growing pains are best forgotten.

Uniswap’s Strategic Move

Uniswap operates as the largest decentralized cryptocurrency exchange, backed by the Uniswap Foundation. Currently, the foundation is poised to advance to the next phase by introducing a novel governance structure. A non-profit association under the “DUNA” framework is proposing a new legal entity, “DUNI”. This structure is designed to address governance, service provider maintenance, regulatory, and tax compliance responsibilities. The aim is to equip the protocol with the necessary legal framework to fulfill these obligations effectively.

A sum of $16.5 million in UNI Coin will be allocated to this structure, providing financial support for past tax obligations and a legal defense budget. Moreover, Uniswap, through DUNI, intends to allocate a significant portion of LP fees to the DAO treasury as protocol fees come into effect.

In the words of Brian Nistler, the General Counsel of the Uniswap Foundation, the new legal framework will significantly enhance DUNA’s capabilities in participation and transaction domains. This move paves the way for fee amendment voting and formalizes Uniswap’s governance, thus protecting those involved in the collective decision-making process.

UNI Coin Price Surge

The facilitation of protocol fees, combined with legal resolution of Uniswap’s regulatory gaps without a centralized authority, underpins the recent surge in UNI Coin’s value. The DAO’s tangible implementation in practice further justifies this price increase.

The UNI Coin price ROSE from $10.87 to $12 and is currently trading at $11.6. The $12 mark stands as a critical resistance level, which served as a local peak, leading to a 58% decline after its mid-last year recording. Despite fluctuations, the price remains at a juncture, notably post-Trump’s assumption of office, which saw it rise to $19.5 before regulatory complexities ensued.

Should the market experience successful closures above the $12 threshold, new peaks between $15.5 and $18 could be witnessed.