$UNI
The GAS fees on the Unichain network have surged, with a reported single transaction fee of 0.04ETH.
Unichain is a new Layer 2 (L2) network designed by Uniswap specifically for DeFi, characterized by fast block times (250 milliseconds), cross-chain interoperability, and a decentralized validator network. Unichain aims to leverage and accelerate Ethereum's scaling roadmap, moving execution to L2, and is expected to reduce transaction costs by approximately 95% compared to Ethereum L1 in the short term, with further reductions over time. Unichain will launch with a one-second block time and will soon introduce 250-millisecond 'sub-blocks', providing an instantaneous user experience. The construction of Unichain is designed to allow seamless access to exchanges regardless of which chain the user is on, implemented in collaboration with OP Labs as part of the Optimism Superchain to realize native interoperability and achieve single-block cross-chain messaging between Superchain L2s. Unichain will introduce a decentralized validation network that allows nodes to validate blocks, adding an additional layer of finality and reducing the risk of conflicts or invalid blocks.