What’s new this week
- Base launched a live cross-chain bridge to Solana via Chainlink CCIP, enabling seamless asset transfers and boosting multichain liquidity.
- Aave DAO proposed shutting down several low-revenue Layer-2 (L2) deployments and raising the minimum revenue threshold for future network support — part of a strategic rationalization effort.
- Uniswap marked a new milestone: cumulative trading volume on the protocol has surpassed US$4 trillion — underlining its continuing dominance in decentralized trading.
📈 Base–Solana Bridge: What it changes
In a major interoperability step, Base has officially launched a cross-chain bridge to Solana built on Chainlink CCIP. This bridge — now live on mainnet — allows Base apps and users to move assets like SOL and Solana-native SPL tokens between the two ecosystems. Developers building on Base can integrate the bridge natively; traders and DEXs can tap into liquidity across both networks.
The bridge expands Base’s ambition beyond being just an Ethereum-L2 network: it positions Base as a multichain hub, bringing together the composability of EVM ecosystems with Solana’s speed and throughput.
Why it matters:
- Users get access to a wider range of assets and liquidity pools across chains.
- Developers can build more flexible, cross-chain DeFi applications.
- It may help reduce friction for users managing multiple wallets or chains, making multichain DeFi more accessible.
🔄 Aave’s reset: Shutting down low-income L2 deployments
The governance body behind Aave has introduced a proposal to wind down some of the protocol’s V3 deployments on underperforming L2 networks. Specifically, chains such as zkSync, Metis, and Soneium — which reportedly generate minimal revenue annually — are on the chopping block.
New policy rules would require future deployments to meet a minimum annual revenue threshold of US$2 million to remain active or to be authorized. This reflects a strategic pivot: instead of broad multichain expansion, Aave is prioritizing capital efficiency, operational cost control, and focusing on high-yield, high-activity networks.
This marks a maturation of DeFi strategy — from “deploy everywhere” to “deploy where it counts.” For users on the affected chains, liquidity and support may wind down; for Aave and its token holders, the move aims at long-term sustainability.
🦄 Uniswap crosses $4 trillion in cumulative trading volume
Uniswap — widely regarded as the flagship decentralized exchange (DEX) — recently announced that its lifetime trading volume has surpassed US$4 trillion, a new benchmark for the protocol.
According to the announcement, the pace of growth has accelerated: it took four years to hit the first trillion, two more to reach the second, one year for the third — and just six months to hit the fourth. This trajectory underscores surging activity across EVM chains and L2s, boosted by mix of retail and institutional demand, liquidity migration, and broadening adoption.
Uniswap’s sustained dominance suggests that despite competition, its AMM architecture and multi-chain reach continue to make it a cornerstone of decentralized finance.
🧭 What it signals for DeFi — broader themes
- Multichain interoperability is scaling up. The Base–Solana bridge shows that cross-chain liquidity, once experimental, is becoming core infrastructure — potentially reducing silos across ecosystems.
- DeFi protocols are entering a phase of consolidation and maturity. With Aave trimming underperforming deployments, the focus is shifting from expansion to sustainability, capital efficiency, and revenue optimization.
- DEXs remain central to crypto liquidity. Uniswap’s $4 T volume milestone reaffirms that decentralized exchanges still command massive activity — a strong signal for broader DeFi health.
- Liquidity and capital will flow to well-operated, high-throughput networks. Chains and applications that deliver volume, fees, and functional value are set to benefit, while weaker ones may face decline or exit.
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