The Resurgence of DeFi: Total Value Locked Surpasses $116 Billion

The decentralized finance (DeFi) market experienced a significant resurgence at the beginning of July, with the total value locked (TVL) climbing to $116.416 billion. This figure marks a peak not seen since April and is indicative of a 4.95% increase within just 24 hours. This rise can be attributed to several factors, including the uptick in crypto asset prices and renewed investments into various lending protocols, restaking services, and yield-bearing primitives. Such trends underscore a reinvigorated trust among investors in DeFi solutions as they pivot towards more yield-focused strategies in a highly competitive market.

Ethereum and Solana remain at the forefront of DeFi investments, absorbing a large portion of capital flows. Among the new structural pillars of on-chain liquidity are protocols like EigenLayer and ether.fi, which have emerged as formidable players in the realm of restaking. As interest in these solutions grows, they bolster the stability and reliability of DeFi infrastructures, ultimately paving the way for enhanced capital efficiency across the ecosystem. Their growing influence signifies an essential evolution within DeFi, focusing on more sustainable mechanisms for generating yields and managing liquidity.

Leading the DeFi leaderboard is AAVE, which solidified its position with an impressive $25.871 billion locked across 18 chains. The platform reported a month-on-month increase of 2.62%, which is indicative of its users’ preference for maturity, scale, and liquidity. Particularly in periods of rising ETH borrowing costs, AAVE’s attractiveness stems from its consistent performance, allowing it to secure over 22% of the total DeFi TVL, thereby outpacing Lido and other alternatives in the restaking arena. As AAVE continues to offer robust lending solutions, its dominance exemplifies not just its popularity but also an essential return to financial stability in the DeFi market.

Among lending protocols, Morpho has emerged as a standout, boasting a 25.35% monthly gain. Its innovative hybrid peer-to-peer lending structure, coupled with increased collateral caps, particularly for staked ETH (stETH), has contributed to its rapid rise, bringing its TVL to $4.498 billion. This growth places Morpho just outside the top 10 DeFi protocols, surpassing legacy competitors like JustLend and Pendle. Such advancements not only highlight Morpho’s unique offering but also showcase the increasing demand for adaptable lending frameworks that cater to evolving market conditions.

Pendle’s performance has also been notable, recording an 11.71% monthly increase to $4.822 billion. The protocol specializes in tokenizing fixed-yield strategies and reflects the enduring appetite for yield certainty, particularly in a market where new lending primitives are limited. Its growth in recognition among investors is indicative of a broader trend: a focus on principal-token and yield-token separation that resonates with users seeking stability amid financial volatility. This strategic positioning firmly establishes Pendle as a conduit for innovative yield solutions.

Despite the widespread growth in DeFi, not all protocols have fared equally. Ethena, for example, experienced a 5.74% decline in TVL, attributed to redemptions associated with its synthetic dollar yield offerings. This reduction signals a possible market correction as capital began flowing towards more sustainable yield opportunities. Meanwhile, BlackRock’s BUIDL token showcases the critical role real-world assets (RWAs) play in stabilizing capital during turbulent times. Despite a slight decline, BUIDL remains fully backed by tokenized Treasury bills, cementing its place as one of the largest RWA instruments within the DeFi sphere.

The increasing convergence between spot and perpetual decentralized exchange (DEX) volumes reflects a more disciplined approach to capital deployment among traders. With volumes landing at $13.653 billion for spot markets and $13.084 billion for perpetuals, this unusual parity may signal a healthy shift towards hedging activity or organic demand for essential assets. The current trend implies a reduced reliance on leveraging in periods of euphoria, showing that larger players are prioritizing risk-aware strategies during volatile market conditions.

As the Ethereum ecosystem retains its dominance with a TVL of $65.035 billion, comprising over 55% of the DeFi market, Solana has also demonstrated resilience, reaching $8.768 billion amid increasing institutional interest. Prominent DEXs and yield farms on Solana are capitalizing on recent trends, including the approval of spot SOL ETFs in Canada. Coupled with spikes in activity for Layer-2 solutions, these developments make it evident that despite Ethereum’s prominent role, alternative protocols are poised to recapture attention in the DeFi landscape.

In conclusion, the beginnings of July have showcased a revitalized DeFi ecosystem, particularly within core lending and restaking sectors. With ample dry powder represented by the total market cap of stablecoins reaching $254.598 billion—over double the value locked in DeFi protocols—the ingredients for future growth are well-established. The influx of capital, coupled with tangible interest in innovative yield-generating strategies, positions DeFi for an optimistic trajectory going forward into the latter half of 2025, offering renewed confidence to stakeholders across the space.