DeFi Ecosystem Faces Setbacks as On-chain Activity Declines
The decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem has experienced a series of setbacks in August, with on-chain economic activity dwindling. According to an analysis by investment manager firm VanEck, exchange volume in August declined to $52.8 billion, a decrease of 15.5% compared to July.
VanEck’s analysis is based on the MarketVector Decentralized Finance Leaders Index (MVDFLE), which tracks the performance of the largest and most liquid tokens on DeFi protocols. The Index includes tokens such as Uniswap (UNI), Lido DAO (LDO), Maker (MKR), Aave (AAVE), THORchain (RUNE), and Curve DAO (CRV).
In August, the DeFi Index underperformed Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), falling by 21% over the month. The decline was mainly driven by the negative performance of the UNI token, which dropped by 33.5% as investors sold off tokens to capture gains from July.
The total value locked (TVL), another important metric for the ecosystem, also saw a decline of 8% in August, from $40.8 billion to $37.5 billion. However, the TVL still outperformed Ethereum, which experienced a 10% slump in the same month.
Despite the poor performance of DeFi tokens, the ecosystem did witness positive developments throughout August. These developments include the dismissal of a class-action lawsuit against Uniswap Labs and the stablecoin growth of Maker and Curve.
Curve Finance’s stablecoin crvUSD, which experienced a major exploit in late July, saw significant growth in August, reaching a new all-time high of $114 million borrowed. This growth has contributed significantly to the platform’s revenue. However, Curve Finance’s governance token, CRV, has not shown signs of recovery since the exploit, with its price falling by 24% in August to $0.45.
According to VanEck’s analysis, the declining DeFi volume remains a solid headwind for CRV appreciation. The founder of Curve Finance, Michael Egorov, had approximately $100 million in loans backed by 47% of the circulating supply of CRV. To mitigate his debt position, Egorov sold 39.25 million CRV tokens to notable DeFi investors during the crisis.
Additionally, VanEck highlighted that the current levels of global interest rates, particularly in the United States, continue to put pressure on stablecoins. The aggregate market capitalization of stablecoins fell by 2% in August to $119.5 billion, as investors sought higher interest rates in traditional finance.
As the DeFi ecosystem faces these setbacks, it remains to be seen how the industry will navigate the challenges and adapt to the changing market conditions.
Source: [VanEck](https://www.vaneck.com/us/en/blogs/digital-assets/matthew-sigel-vaneck-monthly-crypto-recap-for-august-2023/)
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About the author - J-S Tremblay
I've been involved in the cryptocurrency world since 2016 and trading since 2019. I started Moon and Lambo in 2021. I'm passionate about crypto and love to share my knowledge. I hate bankers and I hope that cryptocurrency will change the financial world for the better. View full profile...
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