Uniswap founder links seven-figure Uniswap.com buy to SBF, while WIPO record stays silent

A domain fight centered on a SushiSwap redirect

The dispute drew attention in 2021 after Uniswap.com sent visitors to SushiSwap, the decentralized exchange that began as a fork of Uniswap. At the time, reporting by The Block noted the redirect while the identity of the domain owner remained unclear. SushiSwap contributor 0xMaki said then that the SushiSwap team had not bought the domain.

WIPO later examined the redirect itself. According to the decision, the panel reviewed a screenshot dated May 18, 2021 and also checked archived versions of the site through the Wayback Machine. Those records showed the domain resolving to a SushiSwap page during May, placing the disputed address in direct connection with a service the panel described as operating in the same financial market as Uniswap Labs.

What the WIPO panel decided

Uniswap Labs argued that the domain was identical to its UNISWAP trademark and was being used in a way that misled users. The respondent challenged parts of that case, including whether the redirect had initially been established, and pointed to SushiSwap’s roots as an open-source derivative of the Uniswap protocol.

The panel rejected those arguments after reviewing additional evidence. It found that open-source origins did not make use of the Uniswap name in a domain permissible, and held that Uniswap Labs had registered rights in the mark. WIPO also concluded that redirecting users to SushiSwap was not a bona fide use of the domain and created a strong risk that visitors would assume some affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement by Uniswap Labs.

Bad-faith finding, but no public link to Bankman-Fried

The case record shows that Uniswap.com was originally registered on July 30, 2000, long before the Uniswap protocol existed. In the 2021 proceeding, the respondent’s legal representative said the domain had been acquired on April 7, 2021. WIPO identified the respondent as Registration Private, Domains By Proxy, LLC / Future XXX of Hong Kong.

In its ruling, the panel said there was credible evidence that the respondent knew of Uniswap Labs before acquiring the domain and viewed the company as a competitor. It also found that the SushiSwap redirect intentionally created confusion about whether Uniswap Labs was connected to the destination. On that basis, WIPO determined the domain had been registered and used in bad faith.

Still, the published decision does not name Bankman-Fried as Future XXX, does not state that he purchased the domain, and does not disclose any seven-figure transaction. Adams’ statement adds that allegation, but the official record stops short of confirming it.

Transfer ordered in 2021 and current status

WIPO’s Sept. 3, 2021 decision ordered Uniswap.com transferred to Universal Navigation Inc., which operates as Uniswap Labs. The case was decided under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, meaning the panel ordered a transfer rather than requiring Uniswap Labs to buy the domain from the respondent.

Bankman-Fried’s earlier involvement with SushiSwap gives some background to Adams’ claim, as he briefly took control of the project during a 2020 governance crisis before authority shifted toward a multisignature structure. But that history does not by itself establish ownership of Uniswap.com.

As of Sept. 21, Uniswap.com redirected to app.uniswap.org, the project’s official application. Uniswap’s support materials continue to list Uniswap.org as the official website, while the company’s trademark guidelines say third parties should not use UNISWAP, UNI, or UNISWAP LABS in domain names in ways that suggest affiliation.