Decentralized exchange Uniswap has launched in-app, permissionless cross-chain bridging for its users, with service available across nine blockchain networks.

On Oct. 23, the Uniswap (UNI) team announced that its permissionless cross-chain bridge was now live, bringing the DEX protocol closer to enabling cross-chain swaps. The cross-chain intents protocol, Across Protocol, powers this in-app Uniswap bridging feature, according to the announcement.

Only native assets

With the launch, Uniswap users can now undertake cross-chain transactions across nine networks. These include Ethereum (ETH), Arbitrum (ARB) Polygon (POL) and ZKSync (ZK). Other networks with initial support are Base, Zora, Blast, OP Mainnet and World Chain.

The feature only supports native assets, such as ETH on the Ethereum network or ARB on the Arbitrum network. Bridging will also be available for stablecoins. In terms of functionality, users will perform cross-chain transactions directly via their Uniswap interface and Uniswap Wallet.

According to data from Dune, multi-chain access currently has a cumulative count of over six million Uniswap users. However, cross-chain bridge swaps remain low. The Uniswap Labs team aims to significantly increase this number.

Uniswap recently unveiled UniChain, a new layer-2 chain targeting DeFi and cross-chain liquidity. Announced on Oct. 10, UniChain aims to help the crypto market address DeFi’s challenges. Key to this vision are decentralization, near-instant transactions, and multi-chain swapping.

Ethena has broken out of a rare bullish pattern on the one-day charts and could see gains of over 65% from the current price.

Over the last seven days, Ethena (ENA) — best known for the USDe stablecoin — rose 24.4%. The crypto asset’s market cap surpassed the $1 billion mark on Oct. 14. It is now up 200% from its lowest point in September, and sits at $1.14 billion. Its daily trading volume hovers over $318 million.

According to analysts, Ethena has broken out of multiple patterns on the 1-day chart, which points to further upside.

Anonymous trader CryptoBull_360 noted that ENA has broken out from an inverse head and shoulders pattern, a rare pattern that signals a major bullish reversal that could further fuel the ENA rally. Moreover, It also rose above the upper side of a broadening wedge pattern that connects the highest swings since April 10.

The analyst sets a bullish target for ENA at $0.68. That’s up 65% from its current levels, provided that Bitcoin (BTC) continues to see positive momentum. 

Other commentators echoed similar bullish sentiments with MisterSpread ENA to hit $0.52 in the short term as long as it holds above the support level at $0.42.

ENA’s price rally also coincided with a jump in futures open interest. According to CoinGlass, open interest in the futures market hit a high of $227 million, up from last week’s low of $137 million.

Previously, whales have also turned their attention towards the token and were seen accumulating the crypto throughout the past week as reported by crypto.news.

Smart DEX traders, known for consistently executing profitable swaps on decentralized exchanges, grabbed over 2.25 million ENA tokens over the past week, valued at $932.5K, demonstrating their confidence in the token’s potential growth.

Among other catalysts, is Ethena’s recent proposal to integrate its liquidity and hedging system into Hyperliquid, a decentralized exchange for perpetual trading.

The proposal, currently under review by the Ethena Risk Committee, suggests moving a portion of Ethena’s hedging flow on-chain to Hyperliquid, enhancing transparency and reducing counterparty risks.

Additionally, the proposal includes adding USDe stablecoin to Hyperliquid’s Layer 1 platform upon the launch of the EVM mainnet, further expanding its DeFi integrations.

At press time, ENA was exchanging hands at $0.403 per data from crypto.news.

Crypto was once a self-contained industry. The average user only heard about it at the Bitcoin (BTC) price peaks and was reluctant to invest in this new asset class. Those passionate about crypto found their way through with limited options to convert their digital coins into fiat and back.

But those days are gone. As crypto products grow in popularity, many platforms, previously entirely confined to web3, are integrating fiat bridges to open their doors to new users. 

Disruption that doesn’t benefit users 

Imagine a common type of web3 product that wants to disrupt its niche and make its service go mainstream. It describes its solution and how blockchain revolutionizes the traditional way of doing things. Then, it says: connect your web3 wallet and make sure you have enough Ethereum (ETH) to pay gas fees. If you don’t have any, set up an account on a centralized exchange and buy some.

This path is ridiculously long and bumpy for a regular non-crypto user. Centralized exchanges are still the most common way to convert fiat money into crypto, but their cumbersome interface often leaves newcomers feeling dizzy. Even for experienced users, CEXes as a gateway are not always convenient—withdrawing funds to an external platform involves multiple confirmations and extra fees. All of this creates a great deal of friction, complicating the user’s journey into web3.

Why would a DEX need a fiat gateway? 

One could argue that web3 projects aiming to go mainstream and blockchain-native platforms mostly focused on the crypto audience are different—in the sense that crypto protocols don’t really need fiat. For example, decentralized exchanges that let enthusiasts swap various L1 and L2 tokens earned in airdrops, bounty campaigns, and other activities confined to the blockchain realm.

Is that really the case? In practice, that’s not quite so. For instance, Uniswap introduced its fiat-to-crypto bridge back in December 2022 and has since partnered with various providers to expand opportunities for its users. This is a good example of how a DeFi project realized that it couldn’t reach the next level without opening a channel for inflows from the traditional economy. The move also strengthened the project’s value proposition, giving people more opportunities to safely trade in a decentralized environment.

Memecoins are another example. As the memecoin frenzy unfolded in 2024, this asset class became well-known to a wider audience, catching the attention of traditional investors. While many of them turned to centralized exchanges due to a lack of other options, the Shiba Inu (SHIB) memecoin integrated a fiat on-ramp, offering users the ability to purchase the token directly into their wallet. Investors gained an easy way to buy the asset, and the project increased the value and utility of its token.

The efforts of top crypto platforms to integrate on- and off-ramps highlight the user demand. However, they also indicate that the infrastructure for fiat-to-crypto bridges is now ready. Today, setting up an on-ramp can take just a few days using pre-built software that supports dozens of countries, payment methods, and national currencies. Good gateways are fully licensed in many regions, freeing their clients from compliance issues.

Some argue that crypto-native platforms don’t really need fiat bridges because not many people have used them so far. But what if that was the case simply because there were far too few bridges available?

We constantly think of how to make crypto more accessible. But it often doesn’t require us to reinvent the wheel—it’s about removing the friction faced by those who want to use their fiat in the crypto world. There was a time when fiat and blockchain realms barely intersected. However, as they continue to converge, only tighter integration between traditional and digital currencies will facilitate faster adoption of crypto.

Konstantins Vasilenko

Konstantins Vasilenko is a co-founder of Paybis, a pioneering fintech startup in the Baltic States, which has become a leader in the digital and cryptocurrency exchange business. Konstantin is a seasoned IT expert with over 20 years of experience spanning enterprise IT project management, CRM systems, blockchain technology, digital payments, and cryptocurrencies. Prior to Paybis, Konstantin honed his skills at Accenture. His career reflects a strong commitment to innovation and digital transformation, driving the bridge between traditional finance and the crypto economy.