Uniswap Trading – Tutorial and Brokers

Uniswap is a crypto token with the ticker symbol UNI. In this article, we’ve explained what the coin is, how it relates to the Uniswap exchange, and the risks and potential rewards in trading the token. This review aims to give you all the information you need to join the UNI community, including strategies and a how-to guide for getting started trading Uniswap.

Uniswap Brokers & Exchanges

#1 - eToro USA

Why We Chose eToro USA

eToro US offers 24 tradeable cryptoassets, with just a 1% buying/selling fee added to the spread. Additionally, there are 80 different coins available through the broker’s proprietary wallet service. You can also practice your crypto strategies easily by switching between live and demo mode. Crypto asset investing is highly volatile and unregulated. No consumer protection. Tax on profits may apply.

"eToro remains a top pick for traders looking for leading social investing and copy trading services. With a low deposit, zero commissions and an intuitive platform, the broker will meet the needs of newer day traders."

- DayTrading Review Team
  • Coins: BTC, ETH, BCH, DASH, LTC, ETC, MIOTA, XLM, EOS, NEO, ZEC, XTZ, MKR, COMP, LINK, UNI, YFI, DOGE, AAVE, ALGO, MANA, ENJ, BAT, MATIC, FLR, SHIBxM
  • Crypto Mining: No
  • Auto Market Maker: No
  • Crypto Spread: BTC 0.75%
  • Crypto Lending: No
  • Crypto Staking: No
  • Platforms: eToro Trading Platform & CopyTrader
  • Minimum Deposit: $10
  • Regulator: SEC, FINRA

About eToro USA

eToro is a social investing platform that offers short-term and long-term trading on stocks, ETFs, options and crypto. The broker is well-known for its user-friendly community-centred platform and competitive fees. With FINRA and SIPC oversight and millions of users across the world, eToro is still one of the most respected brands in the industry. eToro securities trading is offered by eToro USA Securities, Inc.

Pros

  • Investors can access Smart Portfolios for a more hands-off approach, covering a range of sectors and markets such as renewable energy and artificial intelligence
  • The online broker offers an intuitive social investment network with straightforward copy trading on cryptos
  • The broker's Academy offers comprehensive learning materials for beginners to advanced-level investors

Cons

  • There's no MetaTrader 4 platform integration for traders who are accustomed to using third-party charting tools
  • There's a narrower range of day trading instruments available compared to competitors, with only stocks, ETFs and cryptos
  • The proprietary terminal doesn't support trading bots and there are no additional stock market analysis tools

#2 - OANDA US

Why We Chose OANDA US

You can speculate on the world’s biggest cryptos by market cap. Commissions are lower than many peers starting at 0.25%. Through the broker’s partnership with Paxos, clients can spot trade cryptocurrencies on the itBit exchange through the OANDA native platform.

"OANDA remains an excellent broker for US day traders seeking a user-friendly platform with premium analysis tools and a straightforward joining process. OANDA is also heavily regulated with a very high trust score."

- DayTrading Review Team
  • Coins: BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH, PAXG, LINK, UNI, AAVE
  • Crypto Mining: No
  • Auto Market Maker: No
  • Crypto Spread: $100
  • Crypto Lending: No
  • Crypto Staking: No
  • Platforms: OANDA Trade, MT4, TradingView, AutoChartist
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Regulator: NFA, CFTC

About OANDA US

OANDA is a popular brand offering exceptional execution, low deposit requirements and advanced charting and trading platform features. The top-rated brand has over 25 years of experience and is regulated by trusted agencies, including the NFA/CFTC. Around the clock support is available for short-term traders, alongside flexible contract sizes and automated trade executions.

Pros

  • The broker's API facilitates access to 25 years of deep historical data and rates from 200+ currencies
  • The broker offers a transparent pricing structure with no hidden charges
  • Seasoned day traders can access industry-leading tools, including an MT4 premium upgrade and advanced charting provided by MotiveWave

Cons

  • The range of day trading markets is limited to forex and cryptos only
  • It's a shame that customer support is not available on weekends
  • There's only a small range of payment methods available, with no e-wallets supported

#3 - IG

Why We Chose IG

IG's modest selection of 11 crypto CFDs trails top crypto brokers like Vantage which offers 40+ tokens. That said, it stands out with its crypto index, which tracks the value of the top 10 digital currencies by market cap and provides a holistic way to speculate on the value of the crypto market.

"IG continues to provide a comprehensive package with an intuitive web platform and best-in-class education for beginners, plus advanced charting tools, real-time data, and fast execution speeds for experienced day traders."

- DayTrading Review Team
  • Coins: BTC, BCH, LTC, ETH, ADA, DOT, DOGE, LINK, UNI, XLM
  • Crypto Mining: No
  • Auto Market Maker: No
  • Crypto Spread: Variable
  • Crypto Lending: No
  • Crypto Staking: No
  • Platforms: Web, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, MT4, AutoChartist, TradingCentral
  • Minimum Deposit: $0
  • Regulator: FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, DFSA, BaFin, MAS, FSCA

About IG

Founded in 1974, IG is part of IG Group Holdings Plc, a publicly traded (LSE: IGG) brokerage. The brand-US offers spread betting, CFD and forex trading across an almost unrivalled selection of 17,000+ markets, with a range of user-friendly platforms and investing apps. For 50 years, IG has maintained its position as an industry leader, excelling in all key areas for traders.

Pros

  • As a well-established broker, IG operates under strict regulatory guidelines in multiple jurisdictions, maintaining a high level of trust
  • The IG app offers a superb mobile trading experience with a clean design that helped it secure Runner Up at our Best Trading App award
  • The ProRealTime advanced charting platform is free as long as certain modest monthly trading activity requirements are met

Cons

  • Stock and CFD spreads still trail the cheapest brokers like CMC Markets based on tests
  • Beginners might find IG’s fee structure complex, with various fees for different types of trades or services, potentially leading to confusion or unexpected charges
  • IG applies an inactivity fee of $12 per month after 2 years, deterring casual investors

#4 - Pocket Option

Why We Chose Pocket Option

Pocket Option offers a modest crypto offering with 10+ digital currencies including Bitcoin and 65+ tokens if you deposit $1000. The integrated analytics feature in the platform is helpful for finding opportunities, while the daily signals service makes it straightforward to act on short-term crypto opportunities.

"Pocket Option excels for its easy-to-use web platform which provides a best-in-class user experience for short-term binary traders. The $50 minimum deposit is also accessible for beginners while opening an account is really easy. Looking at the negatives, Pocket Option still trails alternatives in its market offering and regulatory credentials."

- DayTrading Review Team
  • Coins: BTC, ETH, BCH, LINK, AAVE, ALGO, TLM, ALPP, ANT, AVAX, AXS, BNB, ADA, CHZ, COMP, ATOM, DASH, MANA, DGB, DOGE, ENJ, EOS, FIL, GLMR, ILV, ICP, KAVA, LTC, MKR, MASK, MIOTA, XMR, ALICE, NEAR, NEO, NULS, OMG, DOT, MATIC, QTUM and many more
  • Crypto Mining: No
  • Auto Market Maker: No
  • Crypto Spread: N/A
  • Crypto Lending: No
  • Crypto Staking: No
  • Platforms: Web, MT4, MT5
  • Minimum Deposit: $50
  • Regulator: MISA

About Pocket Option

Established in 2017, Pocket Option is a binary options broker offering high/low contracts on forex, stocks, indices, commodities and cryptocurrencies. With over 100,000 active users and a global reach, the platform continues to prove popular with budding traders.

Pros

  • Extremely fast and smooth sign-up process that takes less than 2 minutes
  • Well-funded traders who deposit $1000+ can qualify for a 2%+ payout boost, more tradable assets and exclusive perks
  • The web platform shines for its straightforward design and usability that will appeal to beginners looking to speculate on popular financial markets in a few clicks

Cons

  • The MISA is a weak regulator with limited investor protection for retail traders
  • Pocket Option offers a slimmed down iteration of the MT4 and MT5 that doesn't provide the full charting package for advanced traders
  • You need to deposit $1000 to access the extended list of 250+ assets, otherwise just 130+ assets are available

#5 - Videforex

Why We Chose Videforex

Traders can speculate on crypto prices in pairs with USD and CNY through binary options and CFDs. The range of digital currencies is fairly narrow vs alternatives but major tokens like Bitcoin are available.

"Newer traders will find a lot to enjoy about trading binary options on Videforex's easy-to-use proprietary platform, as well as the broker's copy trading solution. Payouts also remain higher than most alternatives climbing to 98%."

- DayTrading Review Team
  • Coins: BTC, ETH, QUANT, UNI, SOL, BNB, DOGE, XRP, XMR, MATIC, USDT
  • Crypto Mining: No
  • Auto Market Maker: No
  • Crypto Spread: Floating
  • Crypto Lending: No
  • Crypto Staking: No
  • Platforms: TradingView
  • Minimum Deposit: $250

About Videforex

Launched in 2017, Videforex offers access to stock, index, crypto, forex and commodities markets via binary options and CFDs. The proprietary platform, mobile app and integrated copy trading are user-friendly and will suit new and casual traders, and the market analysis tools and trading contests provide good ways to improve your trading skills.

Pros

  • The support times are fast and reliable based on tests - few brokers offer 24/7 multi-lingual video support
  • The firm facilitates both day trading and binary options which is great for those looking to diversify their portfolios
  • You can easily mirror the trades of experienced investors with low fees

Cons

  • No MetaTrader 4 integration
  • US clients aren’t accepted due to legal restrictions
  • The broker isn’t overseen by a trusted regulatory agency

What Is Uniswap (UNI)?

Uniswap (UNI) is a top ten cryptocurrency with a market cap of nearly $20bn. It is an Ethereum blockchain token that powers the Uniswap Exchange, a decentralised liquidity provider (or a DEX as they are sometimes known). The Uniswap token is a governance token. This means it allows holders to vote on development work and decisions such as new fee structures.

Unlike cryptos such as Bitcoin and Dogecoin, Uniswap does not use an order book to match buyers and sellers or determine the token price. Instead, holders of Uniswap create market liquidity by adding their coins to a liquidity pool (LP).

Uniswap crypto

Whenever liquidity is added, new liquidity tokens are minted that represent the value of the coin deposited. This allows Uniswap to be bought and sold by other traders while the owner holds onto the liquidity token. When any transaction occurs with the lent out Uniswap, the liquidity pool receives 0.3% of the transaction in return for lending their holdings. This is distributed proportionately among the pool. This is a form of decentralised finance (or DeFi), allowing users to create their own market liquidity rather than relying on banking institutions.

Uniswap liquidity providing is similar to staking and mining in that holders lend their coins to pools in exchange for interest. However, there are fundamental differences in the aim. Mining and staking aim to validate the network whereas liquidity pools replace the requirement for an order book. Staking is fairly risk free, but LPs have the potential for impermanent loss.

History Of Uniswap

Uniswap was created in September 2020 to prevent exchange users from using rival DEXs such as SushiSwap. At its initial coin offering (ICO), Uniswap handed out 400 governance tokens to everyone who had ever used the platform. At the time, these tokens were worth around $1000, the current value is nearly $15,000. The price more than tripled in the first quarter of 2021, the height of the latest cryptocurrency bull run.

Uniswap’s founder, Hayden Adams started the company in 2018, having received the backing of various venture capital funds.

In April 2020, over $25m of cryptocurrency was stolen during a hack of the Uniswap exchange and Lendf.me (a DeFi lending platform). Uniswap was affected to a much lesser degree than Lendf.me, but the website was taken offline for a short time while developers fixed the vulnerability. In general, Uniswap is safe from hackers because of its decentralized nature. While centralized exchanges such as Coinbase look after the crypto-wallet on behalf of owners, Uniswap operates on a system of self-custody, meaning individuals hold their own crypto. This makes it much harder to hack on any large scale.

Uniswap history

The 2020 Uniswap white paper set out the intentions for the Uniswap version 2 (v2) core contracts, in particular, the development of a hardened price oracle, flash swaps and the introduction of a protocol fee. In 2021, the version 3 (v3) whitepaper was released, introducing concentrated liquidity and multiple fee tiers allowing LPs to be compensated appropriately for risk.

Uniswap Trading Chart

Why Trade Uniswap?

There are many reasons why Uniswap is a good buy. Ultimately, investors should consider whether they believe the technology that underpins Uniswap will be the future.

UNI breakdown
UNI price

Risks Of Trading Uniswap

Investors should be aware that there are risks involved with trading on this relatively new asset.

Uniswap Trading Strategies

Arbitrage

Arbitrage is one of the best strategies to use with Uniswap because it utilises the automated market maker (AMM) system that bases coin prices on demand and supply within the pool. AMM means that there is often a difference in a coin price on Uniswap vs other centralized exchanges, such as Coinbase or Binance. Arbitrage involves taking advantage of this price discrepancy. For example, if Kraken is offering Bitcoin at $50,000 and Coinbase at $50,500, you can buy BTC on Kraken and sell on Coinbase, pocketing the difference. Arbitrage is a vital part of the AMM system on Uniswap, as traders will continue to buy until the price is in line with the market.

Flash Swaps

Whilst arbitrage is a strategy reserved for those with capital in their back pocket (not everyone has 1 BTC lying around), flash swaps allow traders to take advantage of the risk-free strategy without the capital. Traders can withdraw up to the full amount of their ERC-20 holdings in any token to arbitrage providing that after the transaction, they pay for the withdrawn ERC20 tokens with the corresponding pair tokens or return the withdrawn ERC20 tokens along with a small fee. Traders can optimistically withdraw their coins using a flash swap, purchase the coin on the other end of the pair through another exchange, and then pay Uniswap back the original amount that was borrowed, keeping what’s leftover for themselves. This strategy is fairly risk-free, profitable, and actively encouraged by Uniswap to keep the price in line with the market.

How To Start Trading Uniswap

Uniswap is available to trade with a number of brokers, including Gemini and Coinbase. You can also swap tokens for UNI directly on the Uniswap exchange. To do this, you’ll firstly need to sign up to an ERC-20 compatible wallet service, such as WalletConnect, MetaMask or Portis and make sure you load it with ETH. Then, create a Uniswap account and login. Since Uniswap is decentralised, there are no KYC (know your customer) identity checks.

Login to your wallet and allow it to connect to Uniswap.5. You’ll then be able to swap ‘from’ one token ‘to’ another. Uniswap will provide you with a non-negotiable quote. Confirm the transaction and wait for it to be added to the blockchain. You can track its progress using Etherscan. The Uniswap exchange app is also available on mobile on both iPhone and Android.

How to trade with Uniswap
Wallet connect

If you’ve been waiting for confirmation of the transaction for a while, you might need to adjust your allowed slippage in the settings to account for the fee taken in the swap. Alternatively, you may not have enough gas for the fee. Top up your wallet with Ether and try again. If your transaction keeps failing or something else is not working, help and support for your query is available through the Uniswap community on Reddit, Discord and Twitter. Users can also keep up-to-date with announcements via the Uniswap blog.

Final Word On Uniswap

Uniswap is one of the biggest cryptocurrencies by market cap and has seen a huge jump in value since its creation. As a governance token for the Uniswap exchange, its price is determined by the success of the DEX technology it is built on. Investors should consider whether they believe in the concept of decentralised finance before investing. However, all indications so far suggest that rerouting power from institutional banks into the hands of the people could be the future of finance.

FAQ

What Is Uniswap (UNI)?

Uniswap (UNI) is an ERC-20 token that powers the Uniswap exchange. It is a governance token, which allows holders to vote on major decisions regarding the future of the exchange.

How Do I Use Uniswap (UNI) To Vote?

To vote on Uniswap exchange governance, visit the ‘Vote’ page of the Uniswap website. Here you’ll see a list of proposals that you can vote on. Create an account on gov.uniswap.org to participate in discussions and debates around the votes. Any holder can cast a vote, but you’ll need a minimum of 1% supply to submit a proposal.

How Do I Buy Uniswap?

Uniswap is available to purchase from some of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, including Binance and Gemini. However, it can also be obtained on the Uniswap exchange by loading your ERC-20 compatible wallet with ETH and then swapping to UNI.

Can I Make Money From Uniswap?

Yes, Uniswap is a decentralised exchange that does not use an order book to determine the price of assets. Instead, it uses liquidity pools. Users that add their assets to a liquidity pool can earn a transaction fee for lending their liquidity to the market. As long as the value of the crypto increases, this will translate into real-world earnings. However, users should understand the risks involved as impermanent loss can occur.

Uniswap is a top ten cryptocurrency by market cap, with a current valuation of nearly $20 billion. As a result, it’s a hugely popular option in the crypto space.