Key Takeaways

• Curve Finance has publicly accused PancakeSwap of using its “StableSwap” code without the required licensing.

• The Curve team emphasized that deep expertise is required to integrate swap features, citing past million-dollar hacks as cautionary tales.

• Despite the friction, both teams have expressed a willingness to move toward a formal partnership or licensing agreement.

PancakeSwap Infinity launches and goes cross-chain

The friction between these two DeFi giants comes on the heels of the massive rollout for PancakeSwap Infinity. Launched across the Arbitrum network and BNB Chain in early 2025, the updated decentralized exchange (DEX) introduced “hooks”—smart contract plug-ins that allow for dynamic fee structures and on-chain limit orders. The upgrade was designed to make the platform more efficient and significantly cheaper, with pool creation fees slashed by up to 99%.

By July 2025, the platform expanded to the Base network, offering 50% lower fees for Ether trades. However, this rapid expansion has now drawn the ire of Curve Finance, which claims the underlying StableSwap technology—essential for swapping tightly-pegged assets—was used without permission.

The Risks of Permissionless Code in a Multi-Chain World

Curve Finance is making a move that’s about more than just protecting their ideas—it’s about keeping hackers at bay. They’re essentially saying that if you don’t deeply understand how “stableswaps” work, you’re putting users’ money at risk.

To prove it, they pointed to the massive $116 million Balancer hack in 2025 and the old Saddle Finance mess as cautionary tales. DeFi started with a ‘what’s mine is yours’ vibe, but Curve is changing the locks in 2026. They’re ditching the ‘wild west’ open-source approach for professional licensing, basically trading total freedom for a bit of much-needed stability.

Final Thoughts

While PancakeSwap and Curve are playing nice for now, this whole saga serves as a massive reality check. It’s a vivid reminder that even in the supposed “wild west” of DeFi, the walls—both legal and technical—are finally starting to close in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Curve accuse PancakeSwap?
Curve claims PancakeSwap integrated its StableSwap code without a proper license.

What is PancakeSwap Infinity?
It is the latest version of the DEX featuring cross-chain swaps and customizable “hooks.”

Has PancakeSwap responded?
Yes, the team indicated they would reach out to Curve to discuss a possible collaboration.