SEC Halts Investigations into Several Crypto Firms Including Uniswap Labs
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has halted investigations into several cryptocurrency and decentralized finance firms under the Trump administration. Companies including Coinbase, OpenSea, Robinhood, and most recently, Uniswap Labs, have seen their scrutiny from the agency cease.
Uniswap Labs, No Longer Facing Legal Action
In an extraordinary turn of events, Uniswap Labs, the creator of the most-traded decentralized exchange on the Ethereum network, now finds itself free from impending legal action by the SEC. The Crypto Task Force at the agency has significantly modified enforcement actions previously held under the former leadership.
The decentralized exchange, Uniswap, was earlier accused of facilitating unregistered securities trading on its multi-chain decentralized platform. Charges also included operating like an unregistered broker-dealer and running an illegal clearinghouse.
Defending Against the Allegations
Following accusations in a 2024 Wells notice and a subsequent lawsuit by the SEC, the decentralized finance start-up refuted all allegations. Uniswap maintained its stand on the situation, mirroring several other firms that were grappling with similar accusations. Marvin Ammori, Uniswap’s chief legal officer, assured stakeholders that the company would emerge victorious if pushed into litigation.
Uniswap Joins Ranks of Companies Freed from SEC Oversight
Uniswap is among the latest firms operating in the cryptocurrency realm to be exempted from the investigative watch of the SEC in 2025. The agency’s Crypto Task Force has also finished its investigations into Coinbase and Robinhood, with no further action being demanded. The scrutiny into the non-fungible token marketplace OpenSea also concluded without necessitating further action.
Commenting on the turn of events, Hayden Adams, the founder and CEO of Uniswap Labs, criticized the SEC for its actions. Adams contended that despite the lack of legal grounds to pursue them, the SEC attempted to shoehorn decentralized finance into a regulation scheme that simply does not apply.
The Need for Clearer Regulatory Policies
While this decision has definitely bolstered the regulatory outlook for decentralized finance, the need for more transparent rules still remains of paramount importance. As Adams notes, the scrutiny these firms have had to endure have taken a heavy toll on their operations.
Mentioning the adverse effect the scrutiny has had on the company, Adams stated, “This investigation took over 3 years, forcing us to waste incredible amounts of time and millions of dollars. It also had a personal impact – federal investigations are violating and stressful to the point where there is a saying among lawyers that the investigation IS the punishment. That should not be the price of innovation in the US.”
The founder of Uniswap Labs highlighted the undue strain the investigations placed on the sector, stressing the need for coherent regulation. As Hayden Adams discusses, these unwarranted inquiries not only acted as hurdles towards innovation in the US but also cost the companies both time and capital.
