- Mary-Catherine Lader exits Uniswap after driving years of expansion and innovation.
- Her leadership enabled Uniswap’s rise to a multi-chain, $5.3B DeFi powerhouse.
- Despite her exit, Uniswap’s $73B volume and UNI gains show strong market footing.
In a move that marks a pivotal shift for decentralized finance, Mary-Catherine Lader has stepped down from her dual role as President and Chief Operating Officer of Uniswap Labs. Her four-year tenure leaves behind a legacy of immense growth, strategic innovation, and organizational transformation.
Lader, who played a central role in steering Uniswap from a budding DeFi startup into a dominant player in the space, announced her departure via social media, hinting at a fresh venture but offering no specifics. Her exit comes at a time when Uniswap is seeing significant traction, both in terms of technology and market performance.
Personal news: after four incredible years as President & COO of @Uniswap, I’m starting something new.
— Mary-Catherine Lader (@Mclader) July 15, 2025
This is a new chapter for crypto. We’ve come a long way since I started digital assets at BlackRock in 2015, and building with @haydenzadams was an awesome adventure.
I’m…
From TradFi Veteran to DeFi Trailblazer
Lader’s arrival at Uniswap in 2021 was a bold move, leaving behind a 15-year career in traditional finance that spanned leadership roles at BlackRock and Goldman Sachs. At Uniswap, she quickly became a crucial figure in shaping the company’s internal structure and strategic direction. She introduced its first C-suite operations, a necessary foundation for the firm’s expansion.
Personal news: after four incredible years as President & COO of @Uniswap, I’m starting something new.
— Mary-Catherine Lader (@Mclader) July 15, 2025
This is a new chapter for crypto. We’ve come a long way since I started digital assets at BlackRock in 2015, and building with @haydenzadams was an awesome adventure.
I’m…
Moreover, she played an essential role in launching Uniswap V3 and later V4 both hailed for improving capital efficiency. Her guidance also helped Uniswap scale across multiple blockchains, transforming it from a single-chain DEX to a multi-chain DeFi infrastructure. These developments helped cement Uniswap’s place as a core player in Ethereum’s ecosystem.
Scaling Through Strategic Milestones
Under Lader’s leadership, Uniswap Labs achieved numerous key milestones. One standout was the creation of Uniswap Ventures, a $100 million fund that made strategic investments in emerging crypto startups such as LayerZero and Tenderly. Additionally, she navigated the company through a difficult 2022, helping close a $165 million Series B funding round, one of the largest in DeFi history.
Lader also oversaw the rollout of the Uniswap mobile wallet and led the acquisition of Genie, a major NFT aggregator, broadening Uniswap’s user reach.
Market Performance and the Road Ahead
Despite her departure, Uniswap remains strong. According to DefiLlama data, its total value locked now exceeds $5.3 billion, with over $73 billion in 30-day trading volume. The UNI token is currently trading at $9.09, marking a 15% gain over the past week.
