UNI hits $5.50 as Unichain volume climbs and Ethereum's Pectra upgrade boosts DEX ecosystem - IcoHolder.

Uniswap’s native token, UNI, saw a significant surge on May 8, rising 17% to surpass $5.50, marking its highest price in two weeks. This sharp increase comes as the cryptocurrency market experiences a broader upward trend, with Bitcoin reclaiming the $100,000 mark and sparking renewed optimism across the space. In the past 24 hours, Uniswap’s trading volume spiked to over $214 million, reflecting a 70% increase from the previous day.

Analysts suggest that Bitcoin's rally could provide fresh momentum for the market, although there are concerns that a surge in retail interest may lead to a cooling-off period. Market intelligence platform Santiment warned that while the media coverage of Bitcoin’s milestone may fuel retail FOMO, such rallies often lose steam when the market becomes overly exuberant.

While the broader market's bullish sentiment has undoubtedly contributed to Uniswap’s price jump, the platform has additional tailwinds supporting its growth. One significant factor is the recent Ethereum Pectra upgrade, which has introduced several improvements to the network, including better smart account features, enhanced staking mechanics, and improved layer 2 integration. These updates are seen as strengthening the entire Ethereum ecosystem, with positive implications for decentralized exchanges like Uniswap.

Another key development is the rapid rise of Unichain, a platform for the Uniswap community. Following Pectra’s activation, all 7,702 smart wallets on the network are now fully supported on the Uniswap web app. According to DeFiLlama data, Unichain has become one of the top chains in the decentralized exchange (DEX) ecosystem, with a weekly trading volume of $1.99 billion. This 14% increase in volume outpaces other major chains such as Ethereum, Solana, and Base. In the past 24 hours, Unichain’s volume accounted for the bulk of Uniswap’s daily trading, further highlighting its growing importance.

Additionally, the Uniswap platform itself is seeing notable growth, with the total value locked (TVL) on the platform reaching $4.27 billion. As Unichain continues to expand its user base and transaction volume, Uniswap’s position in the decentralized exchange market remains strong, positioning the platform for further growth in the evolving crypto landscape.