Unichain and The Graph: A New Era for DeFi Builders

Uniswap’s Unichain testnet is live, and mainnet is on its way, both with The Graph integration from day one, opening doors for unprecedented DeFi innovation.

TL;DR: Unichain, a new Layer 2 blockchain built by Uniswap on the OP Stack, aims to revolutionize DeFi with near-instant transaction speeds and affordable fees. As an appchain specifically designed for DeFi, it features deep integration with Uniswap's ecosystem and offers seamless cross-chain interactions through the ERC-7683 standard. With The Graph's day-one integration, developers have immediate access to critical blockchain data, making it easier to build high-performance DeFi applications.

Uniswap took a bold step with the launch of Unichain, a next-generation Layer 2 (L2) blockchain built on the Optimism (OP) Stack designed to elevate DeFi on Ethereum. With near-instant transaction speeds and affordable fees, Unichain positions itself as core infrastructure for liquidity across chains. And thanks to day-one integration with The Graph, developers have immediate, seamless access to critical Unichain data, making it easier to build data-driven, high-performance DeFi applications.

Keep reading to learn more about Unichain, how it aims to solve key DeFi challenges, and how The Graph will support Unichain in achieving this goal.

What makes Unichain unique?

Unichain isn’t just another L2; it’s a purpose-built, high-speed network designed to address some of DeFi’s biggest pain points. Unichain leverages the OP Stack to deliver one-second block times, with upgrades to 200–250 milliseconds expected soon. This speed creates new possibilities for trading, liquidity provision, and user experience in decentralized applications (dApps).

But Unichain’s value goes beyond speed. As a potential role model for appchains, it overcomes traditional limitations through deep integration with Uniswap’s ecosystem. The Unichain standard, ERC-7683, makes cross-chain interactions seamless, delivering unmatched interoperability and simplicity. With provable block building and decentralized validation, Unichain ensures strong security and decentralization—perfect for DeFi projects focused on transparency, efficiency, and liquidity.

In 2025, Unichain plans to expand its security and speed further with the validation network. Full nodes will independently verify the sequencer’s actions, adding an extra layer of oversight to ensure fast, reliable transaction settlement. It’s a setup designed to make Unichain not just a network but a home for DeFi liquidity across multiple chains.

What’s an appchain?

An appchain is a blockchain specifically designed to run a single decentralized application (dApp) or a small set of related dApps. Unichain is an example of an app chain. Unlike general-purpose blockchains like Ethereum, which host many different applications, appchains are customized for a particular use case and have advantages and drawbacks.

Here are some general pros and cons of appchains:

Pros

1. Optimized performance: Custom-built for specific applications, enabling better speed, scalability, and user experience.
2. Tailored security & governance: Complete control over security and governance to suit the needs of the application.
3. Efficient resource allocation: Dedicated resources mean higher throughput and lower latency for the app.

Cons

1. High development & maintenance costs: Require significant expertise and resources, which is challenging for smaller teams.
2. Complex cross-chain interaction: Difficult integration with other blockchains, requiring secure bridging solutions.
3. Struggle with adoption: Lack of broader network effects can make user adoption and engagement difficult.

These cons don’t apply to Unichain as it supports native interoperability for fast, secure cross-chain transactions, improving the user experience and tackling adoption challenges.

The Graph’s role: data infrastructure from day one

With The Graph powering Unichain’s data layer, developers have instant access to on-chain data without the typical hassle of building custom indexing solutions. Through Subgraph Studio, developers can create, manage, and deploy subgraphs for Unichain’s testnet, tapping into The Graph’s established infrastructure to streamline data access and organization.

Since The Graph has been a trusted indexing partner for Uniswap since 2019, this integration brings Unichain into a familiar, stable ecosystem of on-chain data. For developers, this means faster development cycles and reliable data retrieval right from the start.

How can The Graph help the Unichain ecosystem succeed?

• Fast data access: Subgraphs on The Graph allow developers to retrieve blockchain data in a structured way, so they can focus on building dApps instead of backend complexity.
• Scalable infrastructure: As Unichain scales, The Graph’s network of decentralized indexers can scale alongside it, ensuring data access remains fast and efficient.
• Future-proofing for mainnet: Developers can work with The Graph on Unichain’s testnet today, knowing that this foundational data infrastructure will be there on mainnet, allowing for a seamless transition.

Theoretical possibilities that may emerge from this collaboration

While Unichain’s testnet is already functional, the possibilities for future collaboration with The Graph are thrilling. Here are some ways Unichain and The Graph might evolve together, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in DeFi:

• Unified cross-chain search experience: Imagine a seamless search bar that provides users with information across multiple chains. You could type in any token, contract, or wallet address, and instantly receive detailed data from any OP Stack rollup within the Superchain. This powerful cross-chain search tool would bring a “Google-like” simplicity to blockchain data querying.
• Cross-chain historical data access for traders: Traders often struggle to access historical data spread across multiple chains, but with Unichain and The Graph, a cross-chain historical lookup feature could be developed. This would allow traders to view transaction histories, liquidity flow, and trading activity across all connected rollups in a single timeline view, making it easier for them to understand complex trends and make well-informed decisions.
• Cross-chain indexing for dApp developers: dApp developers could use The Graph’s indexing technology combined with Unichain’s infrastructure to easily build applications that work seamlessly across chains. Instead of developing separate subgraphs for different OP Stack rollups, a developer could use a unified cross-chain subgraph. This would significantly lower the barrier for developers building interoperable applications, enhancing dApp scalability and reducing development time.
• Omnichain notifications and alerts: Unichain and The Graph could enable cross-chain alert systems. You could set up notifications for various cross-chain events—such as wallet transactions, governance proposals, or liquidity changes—across different rollups. For example, someone holding assets in multiple chains could get notified when liquidity drops below a certain level or a significant governance vote is happening, providing a unified and proactive user experience across all connected rollups.

Why build on Unichain now?

For developers looking to build on DeFi, Unichain offers a powerful sandbox for experimentation. The Unichain testnet lets developers dive into high-speed, low-cost transactions and efficient data access.

Starting on Unichain testnet today allows you to:

1. Gain early experience: Experiment with Unichain’s architecture and The Graph’s subgraphs to learn how to leverage the full power of this L2 network before mainnet goes live. Once mainnet is launched, it will be easy to migrate.
2. Contribute to ecosystem growth: By building now, you’re actively contributing to Unichain’s development and the larger Superchain ecosystem, positioning yourself as a key player in the next phase of DeFi innovation.
3. Stay at the forefront of DeFi evolution: Unichain and The Graph’s collaboration means you’re building fast with the most advanced decentralized data infrastructure available.

Explore Unichain’s testnet using The Graph

Unichain and The Graph represent a new frontier in DeFi development. Unichain provides the infrastructure for high-speed, cost-efficient transactions and liquidity flow, while The Graph offers the instant, reliable data access crucial for building powerful applications. As Unichain moves toward mainnet, its partnership with The Graph could redefine what’s possible in DeFi—bringing transparency, speed, and cross-chain liquidity together like never before.

Start exploring the Unichain testnet (mainnet is coming soon!) with The Graph’s Subgraph Studio and build the next generation of DeFi applications. Check out the documentation on how to build a subgraph, and join Discord to answer your questions.

💡 This article answers questions like:
- What is Unichain and how does it work?
- What is an appchain?
- How does Unichain solve typical DeFi challenges?
- What makes Unichain different from other appchains?
- How can The Graph help Unichain succeed?