Unichain Launches on Optimism Superchain to Scale DeFi

Uniswap Labs and Optimism Team Up to Revolutionize Decentralized Finance

Uniswap Labs, Uniswap Foundation, and Optimism announced the launch of Unichain, a Layer 2 (L2) solution built specifically for DeFi and running exclusively on OP Stack. It is currently available in testnet.

Optimism (OP) experiences a significant rally, breaking through key resistances and showing signs of recovery / TradingView

Optimism, the leader in Ethereum scaling

Optimism’s mission has always been to scale the Ethereum network. A crucial component of this effort is the continued expansion of the Superchain. With nearly half of all L2 transactions powered by OP Stack, it has clearly become the leading shared standard for scaling Ethereum.

As part of the Superchain, Unichain joins a network of the most prominent blockchains, all built on a common standard codebase that shares security, governance, and values. Like all OP chains in the Superchain, Unichain will contribute the greater of 2.5% of chain profits or 15% of chain revenue to the Optimism Collective.

Unichain will also participate in Optimism governance and support core development that will benefit all developers on the OP Stack. Unichain developers will benefit from access to incentives like Retro Funding. This is a reward's mechanism that drives the growth of the Optimism ecosystem.

Unichain, powered by OP Stack

Uniswap Labs has skyrocketed to DeFi dominance in recent years, but wanted to scale Ethereum even further with more block space, faster speeds, and lower gas fees. To meet the sophisticated demands of today’s always-on DeFi ecosystem, Uniswap Labs began exploring the potential of launching an L2.

Powering nearly half of all L2 transactions on Ethereum, OP Stack is the most trusted codebase for on-chain developers. Its battle-tested, open-source technology, coupled with the Superchain’s network effects, interoperability roadmap, and governance, made Optimism the ideal place for Uniswap Labs to build for the future, where abundant block space powers a better internet.

Unichain Opens the Doors for DeFi Developers

Unichain opens the door for DeFi developers of all kinds to bring their applications on-chain with new features and tools. This paves the way for Unichain to support use cases such as prediction markets, lending and borrowing, real-world assets, and consumer financial applications.

Unichain prioritizes the needs of DeFi users from day one, and the Superchain is a ready home for DeFi applications of all kinds.

The Superchain Adds Another Unicorn

Unichain is part of the Superchain’s path to interoperability and will support ERC20 tokens compatible with Superchain interoperability.

When Superchain interoperability goes live, data and assets will move between OP chains without needing to go through L1. This will unify liquidity and help developers solve existing fragmentation. This stepping stone to Ethereum horizontal scaling will unlock a new network effect for all Superchain participants.

Ultra-fast block times for an instant DeFi experience

Unichain will be the first OP Stack L2 to launch with 1-second block times. Uniswap Labs is also working with Flashbots. The goal is to develop a new TEE-based block creator that reduces Unichain confirmation times from 1 second to 250 milliseconds. This massive user experience improvement will provide Unichain users with experiences that feel instantaneous. Over time, these reduced block times will be available across the entire Superchain.

This system follows the rules of priority order, helping applications internalize the MEV and protect users. Finally, it will help pave the way for sequencer hardening to protect against MEV mining.

Building Together to Grow the Superchain

Coinbase, Sony, Worldcoin, and Uniswap have all chosen Optimism as their home, leveraging OP Stack for their blockchains. This makes OP Stack the most widely adopted shared standard for scaling Ethereum.

Optimism (OP) is bouncing back

OP, one of the leading layer 2 cryptocurrencies in the Ethereum ecosystem, has been showing signs of recovery in recent weeks. After experiencing a significant drop since mid-2024, OP managed to consolidate a bottom. It is now in a slight uptrend, according to the latest market data.

At press time, OP was trading at $1.70, representing a 9.65% increase over the past 24 hours. This bullish move has OP has been able to break through important technical resistances such as the 25-day and 50-day exponential moving averages, suggesting a shift in market sentiment.

A tough year, but with signs of recovery

However, despite this recent rally, OP still faces the challenges of a broader crypto market that has been affected by global economic uncertainty and regulation. Since the beginning of the year, OP has recorded losses of 54.01%, reflecting the downward pressure that the sector in general has experienced.

Despite the accumulated losses, OP remains one of the most important layer 2 blockchains in the market, with a total value locked (TVL) of $6.13 billion, according to data from L2Beat. This figure positions it as the third L2 blockchain with the largest market capitalization.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Investors should conduct their own research before making any investment decisions.