The Blockchain Bulletin May 13: Uniswap Surpassed $3 Trillion in Trading Volume
Hey folks! Welcome to the latest edition of the Blockchain Bulletin, where we bring the latest insights to life from the past 24 hours. In a major achievement for decentralized finance, Uniswap has officially surpassed $3 trillion in cumulative trading volume, making it the first DEX in history to do so. CEO Hayden Adams commemorated the milestone on May 12 with data from Dune Analytics, reflecting consistent growth since 2019 and notable surges post-2021.
Meanwhile, regulatory scrutiny over stablecoins is intensifying globally. Ki Young Ju, CEO of on-chain analytics firm CryptoQuant, voiced concern over the evolving landscape, predicting a rise in what he terms “dark stablecoins.” These are privacy-centric alternatives to USDT and USDC, which are backed by fiat reserves and issued by centralized entities. Ju emphasized that while Bitcoin remains stateless and censorship-resistant, traditional stablecoins are increasingly subject to government control, potentially prompting a shift towards less transparent instruments. “Stablecoins serve as a critical link between digital assets and traditional finance, but their reliance on centralized issuers exposes them to growing regulatory oversight,” he stated via X (formerly Twitter).
In a troubling case for Ledger, the hardware wallet provider faced a security breach that compromised one of its moderator accounts on Discord. The hacker exploited the breach by deploying a malicious bot to spread phishing links, luring users to a counterfeit website where they were prompted to enter their recovery phrases. As panic spread among the community, users trying to raise the alarm were reportedly muted or banned, escalating concerns. However, the company’s security team acted swiftly. Quintin Boatwright of Ledger confirmed that the compromised account was removed, the bot deleted, and the phishing site reported. In addition, Ledger reinforced its Discord server security by reviewing all permissions to mitigate future risks.
Related: Dark Stablecoins Could Rise as Crypto Faces New Global Rules
In a similar manner, the Ethereum staking platform, Lido, reacted quickly to a security event that happened in early August when a compromised Oracle wallet was intercepted. One of Lido’s hot wallets was reported used anomalously by a community member on May 10th. The wallet was dedicated solely to signing oracle reports. The breach led back to the validator operator Chorus One, triggering a loss of only 1.46 ETH. Lido rushed a DAO vote on an emergency basis to replace the compromised oracle key and to alert Lido users about the unaffected state of their funds.
In a noteworthy example of blockchain’s expanding institutional adoption, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has integrated Cardano technology into its criminal investigation infrastructure. At the World Police Summit in Dubai, the Dubai Police showcased a pilot project developed in collaboration with the Cardano GhostFund DAO. The blockchain-based system is set to enable secure data exchange with international law enforcement bodies, including Interpol. The pilot demonstrated the transmission of forensic data, such as high-resolution bullet scans, across borders with cryptographic assurance and immutability—marking a significant advancement in global criminal justice technology.
Related: Uniswap Integrates Sony’s Soneium Layer 2 for Web3 Creators
In parallel with technological integration, geopolitical interest in Bitcoin continues to grow. Irish UFC champion and presidential hopeful Conor McGregor is scheduled to meet El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele regarding the establishment of a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve for Ireland. The meeting, to take place during the Bitcoin Nation State Summit, reflects McGregor’s long-standing advocacy for Bitcoin as a tool for national financial independence. He argues that such a reserve could reduce Ireland’s reliance on traditional financial institutions and bolster its economic resilience. Amidst all the developments and legal moves, an acquisition of 13,390 BTC was reported by Strategy, during May 5 to 11, at an average price of $99,856 per coin. The purchase of $1.34 billion was funded through an ATM equity offering comprising more than 3.4 million shares. Such aggressive accumulation makes a long way towards cementing the Strategy bullish stand-for-the-long-term view- on digital assets.
