Curve Accuses PancakeSwap of Blindly Copying Code-Legal Drama Unfolds!

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Curve Claims PancakeSwap Reused its StableSwap Code Without Credit

On March 6th, Curve Finance, a DeFi platform, publicly criticized PancakeSwap, claiming they didn’t give proper credit when using its code.

The disagreement revolves around PancakeSwap Infinity, a newer and improved version of the decentralized exchange that became available in April 2025.

PancakeSwap Looks to Make Amends Over Code Use

Curve claims PancakeSwap used its StableSwap technology – which allows for easy trading of stablecoins within decentralized finance – without properly acknowledging the original copyright and required permissions.

Curve supported its statement by sharing a screenshot from PancakeSwap’s code repository on X (formerly Twitter). The image displayed a code file called “CLStableSwapHook” which PancakeSwap created.

Hi @PancakeSwap, we’ve noticed you appear to have used our code without permission, which violates its license. Besides being illegal, similar actions haven’t turned out well for others in the past. If you’d like to legally use our stableswap technology, please reach out.

— Curve Finance (@CurveFinance) March 6, 2026

Curve launched in 2020 and quickly became known for making stablecoin trading much more efficient. It does this using a special system that allows for trades with very low fees and minimal price impact, especially between stablecoins that are designed to have similar values.

Unlike software that’s completely closed off, the code behind Curve in this case is open-source, meaning anyone can use and modify it thanks to the MIT License.

This framework allows competitors to freely use, change, and share the design, even for profit, as long as they give proper credit to the original creators.

Early feedback on the rollout indicates that required copyright notices are missing.

The Curve team announced that they’re still available for licensing and collaboration if you’re interested in using StableSwap legally and want their help ensuring user safety.

As an analyst following the situation, I’ve received word from PancakeSwap – the leading DeFi platform on BNB Chain – that their team is now in direct contact to address the issue.

This dispute highlights increasing tensions within the decentralized finance world, as different platforms compete for users by rapidly adding new features.

PancakeSwap’s recent Infinity upgrade lets developers add custom features, called “hooks,” to the platform. These hooks are like plug-ins that allow for things like changing fees automatically and creating limit orders directly on the blockchain.

PancakeSwap is facing criticism for reportedly using features from Curve Finance without giving proper credit, which has led to a wider discussion about how projects should behave when using open-source code and whether they are following the rules.

PancakeSwap is currently the second-largest decentralized exchange in the world, with around $2 billion worth of assets locked in its platform. This information comes from DeFiLlama, a data tracking service.

Amidst the public spat, PancakeSwap’s native token, CAKE, fell nearly 4% over 24 hours.

Despite the recent dip, the token is still up 8% for the week, suggesting investors see the licensing issue as a fixable problem, not a major danger to the exchange.

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2026-03-07 13:37