Uniswap Labs President Mary-Catherine Lader Steps Down After Four-Year Tenure
Mary-Catherine Lader, President and COO of Uniswap Labs, has officially stepped down after four transformative years at the helm of the decentralized exchange’s development arm. Her leadership played a key role in guiding the company through regulatory turbulence and helping it evolve into a cornerstone of the DeFi ecosystem.
“Personal news: after four incredible years as President & COO of @Uniswap, I’m starting something new,” Lader posted on social media. “We’ve come a long way since I started digital assets at BlackRock in 2015, and building with @haydenzadams was an awesome adventure.”
Lader joined Uniswap Labs in 2021 after serving as a managing director at BlackRock, where she spearheaded early efforts in digital assets. At Uniswap, she worked closely with founder Hayden Adams to bridge the gap between traditional finance and decentralized protocols.
Under her leadership, Uniswap expanded beyond Ethereum to multiple blockchains, introduced a native mobile wallet, and grew into a key infrastructure provider trusted by institutional and retail participants alike. A successor has not yet been named.
Lader’s departure comes at a pivotal moment for Uniswap Labs. The company recently emerged from a difficult regulatory stretch that began with a Wells notice from the SEC in April 2024 over alleged unregistered broker and exchange activity. In September 2024, Uniswap settled with the CFTC, paying a $175,000 fine related to the illegal offering of leveraged digital asset derivatives through its front-end interface.
Despite the challenges, the regulatory environment in the U.S. has become more favorable. The Trump administration has embraced crypto, backing initiatives like the GENIUS Act, a proposed national bitcoin reserve, and legislation aimed at simplifying digital asset rules. President Trump has publicly called himself the “crypto president,” pushing for clearer regulatory guidance.
Uniswap remains a leader in decentralized finance, with over $5.3 billion in total value locked, according to DeFi Llama. Lader exits as the protocol stands strong, positioned to thrive in the next chapter of the evolving crypto landscape.
