Uranium has fully landed in decentralized finance (DeFi), following the launch of xU3O8-based lending on DeFi aggregator Oku and powered by Morpho, the universal network that connects lenders and borrowers to the best possible opportunities worldwide. In a watershed moment for the DeFi sector, holders of xU3O8, the world’s first tokenized physical uranium product, will be able to leverage physical uranium as collateral for DeFi loans, supplying the token in exchange for USDC via a new vault that launched today using Morpho’s infrastructure. In this way, users of the vault can secure loans while maintaining their exposure to the asset that looks set to underpin the nuclear energy revival.
Commenting on the integration and the launch of the new vault, Ben Elvidge, Product Lead at Uranium.io and Head of Commercial Applications at Trilitech (Tezos R&D Hub in London), said, “Integrating with Morpho represents a significant step in uranium market maturation. We’re bringing DeFi lending capabilities to a commodity that has historically been trapped in opaque OTC markets with limited liquidity options.”
By depositing their xU3O8 in the vault, uranium investors can easily unlock liquidity and explore the thriving DeFi ecosystem on Etherlink, the EVM-compatibility layer for Tezos. Recent months have seen the integration of numerous new DeFi protocols on Etherlink, driving TVL to record heights in October and signaling widespread interest among DeFi users in the growing network. Meanwhile, existing DeFi users who may not already have exposure to uranium gain access to a novel use case combining exposure to a commodity that was previously only available to institutional investors with DeFi infrastructure. The xU3O8 token represents beneficial ownership of physical uranium stored at facilities operated by Cameco, one of the world’s largest uranium providers, with support from Curzon Uranium, a global uranium trading company, and Archax, the first registered crypto service provider in the UK.
“For users, the product offers an easier way into tokenized uranium investments and liquidity management. For Oku, it underscores our continued expansion into real-world assets, moving DeFi beyond purely digital collateral,” said Dan Zajac, BD Lead at Oku.
Since its launch in late 2022, Morpho has quickly become one of the largest DeFi lending protocols, with $10B+ in deposits and a $6.52B TVL. The integration with uranium.io, following similar integrations with Coinbase and Crypto.com, demonstrates the protocol’s ability to support sophisticated real-world asset use cases beyond traditional crypto collateral.
Recent institutional research reveals 97% of institutional investors would consider uranium investment if access were simplified, highlighting growing demand for uranium exposure in investment portfolios. The uranium market faces a supply-demand imbalance, with global production at approximately 155 million lbs annually falling short of demand at 197 million lbs.
About Oku
Oku is a premier DeFi aggregator live on 35+ chains offering 0% fees across 14 swap and 11 bridge routers to connect users with S-tier apps in crypto. As a leading interface for Uniswap v3 and Morpho, Oku makes transacting 1000+ tokens across EVM chains seamless and fast. One click. Every chain.For more information, visit https://oku.trade/.
About Moprho
Morpho is the most trusted onchain lending network with $10B+ in deposits. Businesses can connect to Morpho’s open infrastructure to power any lending or borrowing use case at scale, including embedded crypto-backed loans and custom yield solutions.
About Uranium.io (xU3O8)
Uranium.io (xU3O8) is redefining access to one of the world’s most strategic resources. xU3O8 makes it possible to digitally own and transfer uranium using Etherlink, an EVM-compatible Layer 2 blockchain powered by Tezos Smart Rollup technology. The initiative is supported by Curzon, a global uranium trading company, and Archax, the first registered digital securities crypto exchange in the UK. xU3O8 gives you digital ownership of uranium securely stored in a regulated depository operated by Cameco, one of the world’s largest uranium providers. Through xU3O8, ownership of the uranium stored in secure facilities is digitally recorded, taking advantage of the efficiencies created by using blockchain technology. https://uranium.io/
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