DeFi Hits $153B as ETH Soars and Restaking Booms

The decentralized finance (DeFi) sector has climbed to a three-year high of $153 billion, driven by Ethereum’s price nearing $4,000 and a flood of capital into restaking platforms. This marks its strongest performance since May 2022, when the Terra collapse sent shockwaves through the market.

According to DefiLlama, Ethereum dominates with nearly 60% of DeFi’s total value locked (TVL), mainly through Lido and Aave, which together hold over $60 billion. ETH itself has jumped 60% in the past month thanks to heavy institutional investment, including Sharplink Gaming and BitMine’s multibillion-dollar moves.

Restaking has added another layer of opportunity, letting users earn both base staking rewards and additional yield through liquid tokens. Some strategies—like looping USDC and sUSDC across Euler and Spark—are now delivering returns as high as 25%, though these may only last while current incentives remain.

Beyond Ethereum, Solana’s DeFi scene is also heating up with a 23% increase in TVL, led by projects like Sanctum and Jupiter. Avalanche and Sui are seeing even stronger growth, up 33% and 39% respectively, while Bitcoin’s DeFi momentum is slower at 9%, despite BTC’s price reaching new highs.