Crypto & Forex October 19, 2025 0 Comments

Is UNI Really ‘Crypto’s Biggest Dud’ or Is a Silent Buying Frenzy Brewing Behind the Scenes?

Isn’t it ironic how Uniswap’s UNI token can boast a network that’s practically on rocket fuel—growing sixfold and raking in billions in fees—yet its price keeps dragging its feet like a stubborn mule? You’d think with such explosive growth, holders would be popping champagne corks, but nope. Critics aren’t shy about calling UNI “useless” and “worthless,” pinning the blame on a glaring lack of incentives to actually uplift the token’s value. So, the question burning in my mind is: How does a platform that’s clearly winning the adoption game fail so spectacularly at rewarding its own community? Well, there’s a glimmer of hope amid the gloom. Recent accumulation trends hint at savvy investors quietly scooping up UNI during the dip, possibly setting the stage for a comeback reminiscent of early 2025’s rebound—provided the broader market plays along. Could this be the start of UNI’s redemption arc, or just another false dawn? Let’s dive deeper and decode what’s really going on under the hood.

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Key Takeaways

Why is the community fading the UNI token?

Critics claim the protocol is successful, but with no incentives to improve the UNI token.

Will the ongoing accumulation boost UNI’s recovery outlook?

Yes, if the early 2025 scenario plays out and broader market sentiment improves.

Uniswap [UNI] is one of the most successful and oldest decentralized exchanges (DEXes). Unfortunately, UNI token holders are yet to see its massive growth, at least according to some critics.

One analyst, Ceteris, noted that UNI’s recent value of $6 was below the post-FTX implosion of $6.3 in 2022. Compared to the 2021 high of $45, the token was down 86%.

Surprisingly, its network has grown nearly sixfold over the period. Its Cumulative DEX Volume, for example, increased from about $700 billion in 2022 to over $3.3 trillion as of October 2025 – A 6X explosive growth.

And it made over $3 billion in Revenues and Fees over the past three years, according to DeFiLlama.

Source: DeFiLlama

Will the ‘worthless’ coin recover?

In fact, the DEX recently expanded to the Solana [SOL] ecosystem, making it one of the top applications to tap into liquidity in Ethereum [ETH], Solana, Binance [BNB] Chain, and others. Yet, the impressive growth and revenue are yet to boost long-term UNI holders.

For Jeff Dorman, CIO at digital asset manager Arca, UNI is a “useless, worthless” token for failing to use its growth to improve its token value.

“You must design assets correctly with proper growth alignment & downside protection. Congrats Uniswap for creating the most useless, worthless crypto asset ever $UNI.”

Dorman believes that UNI value could improve if the team begins a token buyback program like Hyperliquid [HYPE].

Crypto analytics platform Token Terminal, however, opined that UNI could probably recover if it sees adoption from crypto treasuries.

That being said, it remains to be seen whether the token will benefit if the protocol switches the fee later in the year.

Accumulation signals amid price pressure

Meanwhile, there has been an accumulation spree as UNI extended its pullback from mid-September. If the Q1 “buy the dip” scenario plays out, the altcoin could recover in the next few weeks.

Source: Santiment

Per Santiment, about 10 million UNI have been moved off exchanges in the past 30 days of trading. This meant active accumulation during the pullback, a similar play seen in early 2025.

In fact, the altcoin surged by +120% in Q2 after the Q1 correction and accumulation period. In the meantime, $4 or $6 should be defended to raise the recovery odds.