What Is SushiSwap (SUSHI)? A Complete Guide to the Ethereum-Based DeFi Exchange

Dorah Lilian Avatar

As decentralized finance (DeFi) continues reshaping the crypto space, platforms like (SUSHI) are emerging as powerful tools for permissionless trading, yield farming, and protocol governance. Built on Ethereum, offers an Automated Market Making (AMM) system and aims to improve on its predecessor, Uniswap, by giving more control to its community.

SushiSwap: A Fork with a Focus on Governance

SushiSwap is a decentralized exchange (DEX) protocol that uses AMM mechanisms to enable users to swap crypto tokens without a centralized intermediary. The platform was launched as a fork of Uniswap but sought to address its limitations, especially by integrating community governance and better incentives for liquidity providers.

SUSHI, the native token, allows holders to vote on protocol upgrades and earn a portion of trading fees—even after they stop providing liquidity. This model creates a more enduring relationship between users and the protocol.

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Core Features of SushiSwap

SushiSwap offers a full suite of DeFi products designed to enhance decentralized trading and staking:

  • SushiSwap Exchange: A platform for token swaps and liquidity provision.
  • Sushibar: A staking mechanism where users can earn xSUSHI for added yield and a share of protocol fees.
  • SushiSwap Farms: Liquidity providers can stake SLP tokens and earn additional SUSHI rewards.
  • Liquidity Pools: Diverse trading pairs across categories like stablecoins, lending tokens, and synthetic assets.

Notably, users can interact with SushiSwap without undergoing any Know Your Customer (KYC) checks, reinforcing its decentralized ethos.

SushiSwap vs. Uniswap: Key Differences

While shares much of its architecture with Uniswap, there are important distinctions:

  • Fee Distribution: Uniswap distributes 0.3% of trading fees solely to active liquidity providers. SushiSwap splits the same fee, giving 0.25% to liquidity providers and 0.05% to SUSHI holders via the Sushibar.
  • Ongoing Rewards: SushiSwap allows users to continue earning rewards after withdrawing liquidity—an advantage over Uniswap.
  • Community Governance: SUSHI token holders have voting power on all major protocol changes, encouraging long-term involvement.

These innovations helped SushiSwap rapidly gain popularity and liquidity in the early DeFi boom.

Potential Risks and Considerations

Despite its benefits, is not without risks. The project’s anonymous origins (notably led by a figure known as “Chef Nomi”) and its past controversies may concern cautious investors. Additionally, has faced criticism for lacking thorough audits, exposing users to possible smart contract vulnerabilities—a recurring risk in the DeFi landscape.