Uniswap vs 
Aave
DeFi's two flagship protocols do different jobs: Uniswap is the decentralised exchange — its token governs the dominant venue for swapping tokens; Aave is the lending market — deposits earn, borrowers post collateral, rates float with utilisation. Comparing them is comparing the stock exchange to the bank: both infrastructure, different risks, different fee engines.
12 months, both starting at 100 (AUD)
UNI → 69 · AAVE → 39| Measure | UNI | AAVE |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | A$6.2B | A$2.9B |
| Rank | #22 | #45 |
| Price | A$9.97 | A$187.35 |
| 90-day change (AUD) | +171.3% | +103.8% |
| 12-month change (AUD) | −30.9% | −60.0% |
| From all-time high | −82.9% | −77.9% |
| Supply model | Capped: 1.00B max | Capped: 16.0M max |
| AU exchanges we verify it on | 3 | 3 |
About Uniswap
UNI is the governance token of Uniswap, the largest decentralised exchange on Ethereum — the protocol that pioneered automated market making. Holders can vote on protocol decisions; the token's value is a claim on the protocol's significance rather than its fees.
About Aave
Aave is the leading decentralised lending protocol, where users supply and borrow crypto against collateral without an intermediary. The AAVE token governs the protocol and backs its safety module.
FAQ
Which is bigger, Uniswap or Aave?
By market value today: Uniswap (A$6.2B vs A$2.9B). Size measures money invested, not quality — but it does measure liquidity, which affects how easily you can buy and sell.
Which performed better this year?
Over the past 12 months in AUD terms: UNI −30.9%, AAVE −60.0% — the chart above shows the whole path, which matters more than the endpoints. Past performance is no indicator of future results, in either direction.
Can I buy both in Australia?
Yes — both are listed on AUSTRAC-registered exchanges we verify. UNI appears on 3 of our reviewed platforms and AAVE on 3. Compare costs first on the fee calculator, and remember every crypto-to-crypto swap between them is a CGT event.
Should I hold UNI or AAVE?
That's a personal decision we don't make for you — this page exists to make the structural differences clear so the choice is yours. What we'd say to anyone: understand what job each coin is designed for, size positions like the risk is real, and check the honest failure statistics before going further down the market-cap list.
Data from our market records (powered by CoinGecko), refreshed with the daily rebuild. General information only, not financial advice — we compare structure and history, we don't pick winners.