PROGRAM NAME:
Uniswap Hook Incubator
Devin Walsh, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Uniswap Foundation:
“The best grant we’ve ever awarded is to the Uniswap Hook Incubator, to the Atrium team. It’s been an incredible opportunity to see them grow and evolve… Our dream with this program is for the next Uniswap Labs, the next unicorn crypto team, to come out of this program. I think we’re going to see that in 2025.”
Overview
In collaboration with the Uniswap Foundation, Atrium launched the Uniswap Hook Incubator (UHI) to onboard, train, and empower developers to innovate within the Uniswap v4 ecosystem.
This initiative addressed the ecosystem’s need for a robust developer pipeline, equipping participants to leverage hooks—a groundbreaking feature in Uniswap v4—to build innovative on-chain projects.
By combining structured curriculum, technical mentorship, and community engagement, Uniswap Hook Incubator not only delivered exceptional participation and retention rates but also set a new benchmark for developer education in decentralized finance (DeFi).
Timeline
Grant 1
Key Stats
Partner
Testimonials
Aaron Lamphere, Grants Lead, Uniswap Foundation:
“Atrium has proven itself as a world-class partner, delivering unparalleled developer education and community-building. The results—from retention rates to venture-backed alumni projects—speak for themselves.”
Challenge
Uniswap v4 introduced hooks to allow developers to write custom logic for various stages of the liquidity pool lifecycle, enabling unprecedented flexibility in liquidity management. However, developer adoption lagged due to technical complexity and insufficient educational resources.
KEY CHALLENGES:
Attracting Experienced Developers
Bringing top Solidity developers into the Uniswap ecosystem.
Overcoming the Learning Curve
Providing resources and support to master Uniswap v4’s intricate architecture.
Ensuring Tangible Outcomes
Facilitating projects that create meaningful value for the ecosystem.
Solution
Atrium designed the Uniswap Hook Incubator with the rigor of a bootcamp, the spirit of a hackathon, and the curation of an accelerator. This eight-week cohort-based program provided developers with the knowledge, mentorship, and tools needed to master Uniswap v4 and build impactful projects.
Program Highlights
Cohort Structure
Three six-week cohorts, each guiding 100-150 developers through hands-on projects.
Curriculum Design
Focused on real-world applications, culminating in capstone projects—functional hooks inspired by curated and original ideas.
Community Integration
Participants gained access to Uniswap engineers, venture capitalists, and industry leaders, fostering collaboration and mentorship.
Outreach and Recruitment
Targeted campaigns attracted over 1,200 applications from 50+ countries, building a diverse, global community.
Hands-On Learning
Integrated guest lectures, live coding workshops, and a dedicated "Hookathon" for capstone projects.
Organic Growth
Integrated guest lectures, live coding workshops, and a dedicated "Hookathon" for capstone projects.
To amplify visibility, Atrium introduced public events like Unichain Office Hours and collaborated with partners like Eigenlayer and Chainlink. These efforts created a vibrant ecosystem of developers actively engaging with hooks.
Results
The Uniswap Hook Incubator exceeded expectations, delivering measurable outcomes that strengthened Uniswap’s developer ecosystem.
Developer Engagement
200+ graduates from the first three cohorts created 150+ hooks ranging from liquidity management tools to advanced trading functionalities.
Achieved a 55% retention rate, far surpassing the industry average of 20% for similar programs.
Ecosystem Growth
Alumni projects like Semantic Layer and Tenor secured venture funding, showcasing real-world impact.
Enhanced Uniswap’s reputation as a developer-friendly protocol, solidifying its leadership in DeFi innovation.
Scalability
Uniswap Foundation awarded Atrium an additional $1.2M grant to expand the program with four new cohorts, self-paced learning materials, and live event series in 2025.
Background
During the final 2 weeks of the Uniswap Hook Incubator, developers build a 'capstone hook' using the skills gained in the first 6 weeks. This culminates in a live Demo Day, where top teams present to investors, researchers, and builders.
From the first two cohorts alone, 138 graduating developers have shipped 91 unique hooks, earning $60,000+ in prizes. Several projects have gone on to secure grant and VC funding.
Incentives
While most devs in the program might be intrinsically motivated to practice what they’ve learned with a concrete project, we can’t help but highlight the benefits of joining the hookathon.
$30.000 in Prizes
Uniswap Foundation’s grant will cover an additional $15,000 prize.
Industry Exposure
Gain recognition as an innovator in DeFi, building ahead of Uniswap v4’s mainnet launch.
Alumni Perks
Graduates who submit a capstone hook can join future hackathons.
Developer Testimonials
The Uniswap Hook Incubator exceeded expectations, delivering measurable outcomes that strengthened Uniswap’s developer ecosystem.
“UHI was an excellent experience for our team. The two-month program is highly technical and provides developers the opportunity to challenge themselves… I would compare the incubator to an improved form of a hackathon.”
Dex Chen
Semantic Layer
“This program has been a turning point in my professional career in DeFi. I discovered new passions that have significantly impacted my life… and met incredibly skilled engineers.”
Berenu
@sudosuberenu
"I'll take this opportunity to thank you again for including me in this cohort, it was truly a fantastic learning opportunity. The workshops were very well thought, the format of providing the lesson and code ahead of the workshop"
Eyal Beigman
@xcerxes
1
Developer-Centric Programs Work
High-touch, structured approaches enable developers to overcome technical barriers and deliver tangible results.
2
Community is Critical
A vibrant, engaged ecosystem transforms individual participants into long-term contributors.
3
Iterative Improvement Drives Excellence
Continuous feedback loops and adaptation ensured consistent value delivery.
Community
First day at The Uniswap Hook Incubator kicked off with introductions to a vibrant global community of builders! As someone who's always been curious about DeFi, I’m thrilled to be part of this journey. Huge thanks to @AtriumAcademy and @UniswapFND for the exciting program overview. Can't wait to dive in and start building!
Exploring Uniswap Hooks with @atriumacademy and @UniswapFND Excited to build!!
Something awesome to close the year
Uniswap Foundation
@UniswapFND
Hook Demos Three winners from @AtriumAcademy's Hookathon presented their innovative hooks and explained their use cases:
- Unicast (RWA Hook)
- Degen Options
- MEV Auction Hook
paul_elisha
@paulelishaa
I just received my gift for participating in the Uniswap V4 Hook Incubator Program Cohort 2 by @AtriumAcademy.
Thanks to @AtriumAcademy and @UniswapFND
PoolParty_xyz
We’re excited to announce that the DynamicShield Hook, created by the Pool Party team, has won a prize from @arbitrum, @UniswapFND and @AtriumAcademy for its innovative Uniswap v4 hook!
Look Around
Building on the success of UHI, Atrium will launch four additional cohorts in 2025, expand self-paced learning materials, and host live public events. By replicating this model with new blockchain ecosystems like Arbitrum, Atrium aims to attract top developers and drive adoption for decentralized technologies globally.
Discover more at