Binance hack could accelerate shift to DEXs: Standard Chartered

The Binance hack could accelerate a shift in crypto trading toward decentralized exchanges, benefiting Uniswap over the longer term, according to Standard Chartered’s global head of digital assets research, Geoffrey Kendrick.

In an email shared with Cointelegraph, Kendrick said the breach should drive further growth in decentralized exchanges’ share of trading relative to centralized platforms, though investors should wait until after the impact of the Binance attack has time to play out in the markets.

“I would encourage investors to re-engage with Uniswap,” said Kendrick. “The decentralized exchange (DEX) has never had any exploits, and the hack of the largest centralized exchange (CEX), in Binance, should see the ratio of DEX to CEX trading continue to increase.”

CoinGecko research shows that the top 10 spot DEX-to-CEX ratio was 23.5% in the second quarter of 2026, climbing 2.1 percentage points from the first quarter of 2026.

Kendrick said he retains his $100 price target for Uniswap (UNI) for 2030, but said the Binance hack is “another reason why that forecast may end up being too low.”

The forecast builds on Standard Chartered’s earlier thesis that assets locked in DeFi could reach $2.7 trillion by 2030, with Uniswap emerging as a key trading venue for tokenized assets.

Looking at the broader implications of the Binance hack, Kendrick said he expects there will be further negative price action in the near term.

Cointelegraph reported that cryptocurrency markets extended their decline early Friday following the Binance hack, with BNB down more than 8% over 24 hours and Bitcoin trading near $77,000. Decentralized finance tokens also declined. Aave’s AAVE fell 11.3% to $118.54, while Uniswap’s UNI dropped 10.4% to $6.48, according to CoinGecko.