Uniswap founder warns Ethereum’s L1 DeFi focus could let Solana take the lead

Uniswap founder Hayden Adams has warned that if Ethereum doesnt focus on layer 2 (L2) scaling, it will lose its dominance in the DeFi space to Solana.

Adams lauded Solana‘s solid team and clear vision in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter). He added that DeFi’s needs are better served by Solanas focus on speeding up and making its layer 1 (L1) cheaper.

Im all for scaling improvements to L1, the rollup centric roadmap actually requires it

The thing I‘m against is confused takes where ethereum is on a “rollup centric roadmap” but all the important things still have to live on L1 and we need L2s to scale but we don’t support…

— Hayden Adams ???? (@haydenzadams) April 19, 2025

Adams urged the Ethereum community to double down on its layer 2 scaling roadmap, a strategy he believes is key to maintaining the networks dominance. He added that Solana is better suited to do DeFi on its layer 1, given its roadmap and overall approach compared to Ethereum.

“Ethereum has been working towards an L2-centric/horizontal scaling roadmap for 5+ years,” Adams noted. “You want to throw this away at the final stretch because of what reason？”

His statement led to extensive discussions that attracted developers, investors, and crypto fans. Many are now wondering if Ethereum is losing its DeFi crown.

While Ethereum continues to evolve its L2 ecosystem, Solana is gaining traction with its streamlined layer 1 capabilities.

As Ethereum iterates toward its robust L2 ecosystem, Solana takes on its nimble layer 1 approach. Ethereum is still the DeFi king, with almost $47 billion in its ecosystem.

Adams said Solanas approach makes more fundamental sense for executing DeFi directly on its base layer without the need for separate off-chain scaling solutions.

According to Adams, Solanas approach is inherently better suited for executing DeFi directly on its base layer, bypassing the complexities of off-chain scaling solutions.

Ethereum has been committed to L2 development since 2020, leaning into rollups and modular scaling as gas fees and congestion plagued its layer 1. However, this focus has come under scrutiny, with some community members advocating for renewed investment in base-layer upgrades—a shift Adams vehemently opposes without clear consensus and direction.