Gas-free swaps still have a cost: UniswapX changed who pays first
UniswapX’s 2023 beta moved transaction submission to competing fillers, with gas costs reflected in the quoted swap price.
From the archive · 17 Jul 2023
A retrospective written for Chain Perspective. It describes the source at that date and does not imply current availability or status.
Reported development: · AI-assisted, source-linked brief
In brief
- Fillers submit signed orders and pay the network fee.
- The announcement said gas costs are priced into the swap.
The development
Uniswap Labs introduced an opt-in UniswapX beta in July 2023. The protocol used signed off-chain orders and an open network of fillers competing to execute swaps across liquidity sources. Instead of the user submitting the trade directly, a filler would put it on-chain and pay the gas. The announcement described a Dutch-auction-based design, initially available through the Ethereum mainnet interface.
Why it matters
The phrase gas-free needs context. Uniswap’s explanation said fillers account for gas in the swap price, so the cost has not magically disappeared. The changed workflow can spare a user from separately maintaining the network’s native token for that operation. Readers comparing services should therefore examine the overall quoted outcome, not only a fee label. This is a retrospective of the beta design rather than a claim about every current route.
Sources and verification
Based on an official announcement
Based on the dated primary source. This retrospective does not establish current availability or subsequent outcomes.
- Introducing the UniswapX Protocol ↗Uniswap Labs · Primary document · 17 Jul 2023
Prepared with AI assistance from the linked sources. This is not a claim of independent field reporting or human review. How we publish · Report a correction
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