KYC hook for Uniswap v4 stirs community controversy

Source :cointelegraph
A hook that enables Know Your Customer verification on Uniswap v4 pools is fueling debates about DeFi’s future.
A new hook available on an open-source directory for Uniswap v4 hooks is sparking controversy within the crypto community. The hook enables users to be checked for Know Your Customer (KYC) before they can trade in token pools.
Criticizing the hook, a user on X (formerly Twitter) noted that the hook opens up the possibility of decentralized finance protocols being whitelisted by regulators:

“As I explained in all my posts for the past year: It starts with ‘kyc option’ for LPs. And then eventually it moves into a ‘regulator whitelist approved’ database hosted offchain. And then non-kyc gets labeled as illegal terrorist money laundering. Stop simping for soyboys.”

Essentially, a hook is a tool that allows developers to customize code without altering the main structure of the program. In Uniswap v4, this hook will permit developers to use KYC verification within the decentralized finance protocol.
The KYC hook was rolled out by a community developer in Uniswap v4’s directory as an opt-in functionality. The KYC verification is carried out by a nonfungible token (NFT). According to another X user, the hook is specific for liquidity providers and may be useful for projects that must comply with regulatory requirements in certain jurisdictions:

“Seems like you don’t understand how this works. #1 it’s lp specific. Some projects may want to operate within the legal confines of jurisdiction. #2 hooks can be made by community devs. You’re trashing something that has done more than anyone else for ‘real defi’.”

Governments around the world are taking a closer look at decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols and transactions. Recently, the G20, a group of the world’s 20-largest economies, accepted a crypto regulatory roadmap proposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Financial Stability Board (FSB) tightening crypto regulations.

Uniswap v4 introduces customizable hooks and is expected to be available in early 2024, with access limited to governance-approved entities.

Source : https://cointelegraph.com/news/kyc-hook-uniswap-v4-stirs-community-controversy