Uniswap
The foundational primitive, the starting point of all DeFi
Uniswap is the pioneering automated market maker (AMM) that revolutionized decentralized trading. By introducing the x*y=k constant product formula, it eliminated the need for traditional order books and enabled permissionless token swaps.
Key innovations: • Constant product AMM model • Liquidity provider incentives through trading fees • Permissionless token listing • Flash swaps for arbitrage and liquidations
Uniswap V3 introduced concentrated liquidity, allowing LPs to allocate capital within custom price ranges for improved capital efficiency.