BlackRock Flirts with Uniswap as Aave Labs Mends DAO Relationship

DeFi sees big moves from traditional finance players and progress on internal governance issues.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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This week in DeFi, BlackRock announced it would offer DeFi trading via Uniswap, buying an undisclosed amount of the UNI governance token. Meanwhile, the relationship between Aave Labs and its DAO appears to be improving after recent tensions. The report also covers developments in DeFi security, AI agents, and ongoing governance debates in protocols like Curve and Gnosis DAO.

Why it matters

BlackRock's move to integrate with Uniswap represents a significant step in the mainstream adoption of DeFi, as one of the world's largest asset managers embraces decentralized finance. The Aave Labs and DAO relationship is also crucial, as it highlights the challenges and progress being made in decentralized governance models. Overall, these events demonstrate the evolving landscape of DeFi and its increasing integration with traditional finance.

The details

BlackRock will 'offer DeFi trading' via Uniswap, with the asset manager buying an undisclosed amount of the UNI governance token. However, trading will be limited to those deemed eligible by Securitize, such as market makers and 'qualified purchasers' with over $5 million in assets. Uniswap's founder Hayden Adams also celebrated the apparent resolution of a lawsuit from rival DEX Bancor. On the DAO front, Aave Labs is negotiating a deal with its DAO, seeking $25 million in stablecoins and 75,000 AAVE tokens over two years in exchange for concessions. The Curve ecosystem's Yield Basis experiment also faced scrutiny for potentially destabilizing the crvUSD stablecoin peg.

  • BlackRock's Uniswap announcement came on Wednesday.
  • Uniswap has been running its UNI token buyback and burn program for just over a month, passing 1 million UNI tokens burned this week.
  • The Gnosis DAO vote for a new treasury manager is ongoing and runs until Saturday.

The players

BlackRock

One of the world's largest asset management firms, which is now integrating with the Uniswap decentralized exchange.

Hayden Adams

The founder of Uniswap, the leading decentralized exchange.

Aave Labs

The team behind the Aave decentralized lending protocol, which is negotiating a deal with its DAO.

Marc Zeller

An Aave Community Incentives (ACI) delegate who commented on the ongoing negotiations between Aave Labs and its DAO.

Michael Egorov

The founder of the Curve decentralized exchange, which is dealing with issues related to its Yield Basis experiment.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.