DeFi's total locked value (TVL) climbed by 41% in Q3, surpassing $160 billion

DeFi TVL has jumped by 41% in Q3, surpassing  $160 billion. The move marks the first significant move since May 2022. Ethereum and Solana led the growth, with 50% and 30% respectively.

The surge reflects a renewed confidence in decentralized finance, led by Ethereum and Solana. Ethereum TVL rose by 50% from $54 billion to $96.86 billion. Solana, on the other hand, realized a 10.5 % jump from $10 billion to $11.5 billion. Across decentralized applications, Solana continued to surpass L1 and L2 networks in revenue following a growing user engagement and on-chain activity.

Ethereum hits $96.86 billion TVL as DeFi protocols see explosive gains

The surge combines reinforcement from individual platforms, which saw record inflows. Aave, a DeFi lending protocol, grew by 58% from July and currently holds more than $41 billion in TVL. Lido experienced a 77% rise to nearly $39 billion, driven by an increased demand for liquid stacking derivatives. EigenLayer protocol  TVL value rose by 66% from July to more than $20 billion, mainly due to Ethereum’s surge in price. 

🚨LATEST: @Solana dApps continue to surpass all L1 and L2 dApps in daily revenue. pic.twitter.com/3XUh0htuxW

— SolanaFloor (@SolanaFloor) September 4, 2025

Mike Maloney, CEO and founder of Incyt, revealed that the biggest winners are the protocols that deliver decentralized products responsibly. He acknowledged Lido, EigenLayer, and Aave for taking the top points, noting that it is for a good reason since they are responsible and honest. 

Rising crypto prices also fueled wider growth across the DeFi ecosystem. Ethereum reached its all-time high of $4,946 on August 24, up 82% since the start of July. Bitcoin reached its all-time high of $124,457 on August 14, with a 14% increase throughout the same period.  

Doug ColKitt, an Initial contributor to Fogo, said that the surge showed two forces colliding. He noted that crypto prices are going higher while yield-hungry capital rotates on-chain. He explained that when Bitcoin and ETH surge in prices, collateral values usually expand rapidly, which in turn drives the TVL values upward.

Colkitt emphasized that, unlike previous cycles, the current growth is more sustainable. He reiterated that TVL isn’t just fake but real products, highlighting products such as RWAs, LSTs, and perps, which are pulling capital back into DeFi. He acknowledged that such market activities reveal a shift in the crypto ecosystem. 

Solana leads the dApps ecosystem with $217.39 million in revenue 

Solana led the dApps ecosystem, while Ethereum continues to dominate overall TVL. DefiLlama showed that decentralized apps consistently outpaced L1 and L2 protocols in revenue output. The revenue surge positions Solana among the fast-growing L1 blockchain ecosystems, on top of its reputation for low gas fees and higher throughput.

Throughout the last month, Solana generated up to $217.39 million, followed by the Ethereum blockchain, which generated $87.76 million.  In Q2, Solana generated a total of $570 million in revenue, representing approximately 46.3% of the total dApp revenue. 

Developer confidence remains high across the Solana ecosystem, as highlighted by the Colosseum hackathon, which has more than 10,000 participants and unveiled its 3rd accelerator cohort in July. The surge in DeFi ecosystem activity has also been boosted significantly by the recent regulatory framework in the U.S. In July, the House of Representatives passed three key bills, including the GENIUS Act, CLARITY Act, and Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act. 

Cryptopolitan reported in July that President Trump signed the GENIUS Act into law to regulate stablecoins. The law provides a legal framework for stablecoins and supports pro-crypto policies. Democrats criticized the bill, citing a conflict of interest with the Trump family, who have gained significantly throughout the crypto surge wave.  

DeFi TVL’s surge throughout last month builds on April’s $86 billion, rising to $126 billion by mid-July, accounting for a 46% increase through the three months. Solana, on the other hand, has maintained the lead for five consecutive months, generating more than $570 million in revenue in Q2 alone. According to Colkit, if DeFi is the scoreboard, then Q3 shows that DeFi’s back in the game.

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