Uniswap Labs’ president and chief operating officer, Mary-Catherine Lader, has resigned after four years in the position that helped build one of Ethereum’s strongest platforms. In a Bloomberg story on Tuesday, Lader will transition to an advisory role before going to her next destination.
A Uniswap representative confirmed Lader’s departure, saying the company “will continue to build on her contributions.”
From Wall Street Finance to Crypto Pioneer
Lader joined Uniswap in 2021 after a high-profile experience at BlackRock, where she was managing director and global head of Aladdin Sustainability. Her departure was seen as proof of increasing legitimacy for the decentralized finance (DeFi) space, as more veterans from Wall Street began entering the arena.
Building the Uniswap Platform
During her time at Uniswap, Lader helped to transition the company from being a developer-centric startup into a more organized business. She led initiatives in finance, law, human resources, marketing, policy, and customer support.
In 2022, under her leadership, Uniswap raised $165 million in a Series B funding round, growing to a valuation of around $1.66 billion.
A DeFi Moment of Change
Uniswap is the largest decentralized exchange on Ethereum, with more than $73 billion in trading volume over the last 30 days, as per DefiLlama. Unlike centralized exchanges such as Coinbase or Binance, Uniswap facilitates token trading directly between peers.
The firm recently placed a regulatory issue in its rearview mirror with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ending an investigation without enforcement action, following a Wells Notice issued in April 2024.
Looking Ahead
Uniswap still hasn’t appointed someone to replace Lader as president. As the world of DeFi keeps expanding, her resignation is a turning point for the platform — and perhaps for crypto leadership in general.
