Expanded DeFi Access for X Layer Users
OKX's layer-2 blockchain, X Layer, has integrated Uniswap as its preferred decentralized exchange, significantly expanding the crypto exchange's decentralized finance (DeFi) footprint. Users of X Layer now have direct access to Uniswap's extensive markets, including a wide array of cryptocurrency token pairs and liquidity pools.
The integration ensures that swaps executed on the X Layer benefit from layer-2 costs, with Uniswap Labs confirming that no fees are charged by the protocol itself. X Layer, launched in 2024, operates as OKX's Ethereum Virtual Machine-compatible network and serves as a foundational infrastructure for its DeFi applications.
Strategic Move for OKX's DeFi Rollout
Star Xu, founder and CEO of OKX, highlighted the integration as a critical component of the company's phase two rollout strategy. This phase is dedicated to incorporating major DeFi protocols and strengthening the core infrastructure of the X Layer network. The network is designed to seamlessly connect with OKX's existing wallet and exchange services, enabling users to efficiently transfer assets into the layer-2 environment.
Hayden Adams, founder of Uniswap Labs, expressed optimism that this integration will lead to increased user activity and liquidity for the Uniswap protocol. Uniswap currently holds approximately $4.4 billion in total value locked, according to data from DefiLlama, positioning it as one of the largest and most utilized decentralized exchanges in the market.
Industry Trend: Centralized Exchanges Building Layer-2 Infrastructure
The move by OKX aligns with a growing trend among centralized crypto exchanges to bridge on-chain activity with their established user bases through layer-2 blockchain solutions. A notable example is Coinbase, which launched Base in February 2023. Base is an Ethereum layer-2 blockchain engineered to offer developers a secure and cost-effective environment for building decentralized applications.
Base experienced rapid growth in market share among decentralized exchange traders in early 2024, surpassing competing networks such as Ethereum and Arbitrum. By January 2024, Base was responsible for approximately 80% of UNI's monthly active traders.
Another example is Gate.io, which announced the launch of Gate Layer in September 2025. This layer-2 network is built on the OP Stack and secured by GateChain. Gate.io presented Gate Layer as the cornerstone of its DeFi ecosystem, subsequently introducing on-chain trading and liquidity products as part of its broader Web3 strategy. The integration of Uniswap with X Layer further underscores this industry-wide movement of exchanges developing their own blockchain infrastructure to facilitate decentralized trading.