UMA (Universal Market Access) is a decentralized financial contracts platform designed to enable universal access to financial markets through innovative infrastructure. UMA focuses on creating "priceless" financial contracts, which are decentralized finance (DeFi) contracts that minimize the reliance on oracles for pricing data. This approach addresses many of the security and scalability challenges that have plagued DeFi by reducing the need for on-chain price feeds, which are typically vulnerable to manipulation and inaccuracies.

The first contracts developed on UMA are priceless synthetic tokens, ERC20 tokens that can track any real-world asset or event while significantly reducing the need for on-chain price data. These tokens allow users to create and trade synthetic assets in a decentralized manner, providing a broader range of financial instruments without depending on centralized pricing oracles.

The UMA token plays a crucial role in the ecosystem. It serves two key functions. First, it powers the governance system, allowing token holders to participate in decision-making processes. UMA token holders can vote on which types of contracts are allowed on the platform, which asset types are supported, and other key system parameters and upgrades. This ensures that the protocol is governed in a decentralized manner, reflecting the interests of the community.

Second, the UMA token is used in the Data Verification Mechanism (DVM), which handles price requests when there are disputes over contract interactions. While the priceless methodology reduces the need for on-chain price data, certain scenarios still require price determination through the DVM. In these cases, UMA token holders fulfill price requests by voting on the correct price, helping to resolve disputes and ensure the integrity of the system.

Overall, UMA's infrastructure enables the creation of a wide range of synthetic assets while minimizing the risks associated with on-chain price data and oracles. The UMA token is essential for maintaining the governance and dispute resolution mechanisms of the platform, ensuring that the system remains decentralized and resilient.