Recent Surge in DeFi Tokens 🚀
This year, the decentralized finance (DeFi) sector has experienced an impressive revival, with numerous tokens registering price increases greater than 50%. After a prolonged bear market and challenging times, the so-called “Trump trade” has breathed new life into decentralized finance tokens.
Significant Increases in Valuations 📈
Among the leading cryptocurrencies in the DeFi sphere, Avalanche’s AVAX stands out. Over the past month, its value has surged by 60%, bringing it to a modest 5% increase compared to its starting point this year.
Uniswap’s UNI has performed admirably too, showing a 47% rise in the last month and an overall jump of 50% since the year’s beginning. Remarkably, the OM token from Mantra has seen a staggering 180% increase in just 30 days, culminating in an eye-watering 6,000% rise since the start of the year.
Fantom’s FTM and The Graph’s GRT have also shown solid performance, even as Injective’s INJ declines. Despite a solid 50% increase recently, INJ remains down 22% from its value at the start of the year.
The Current Market Momentum 🏹
The ongoing market trend suggests we are witnessing a phase of mini-altseason. This upward movement likely started with the November 5th presidential election results, where Trump’s victory triggered a bull run in Bitcoin.
The price of Bitcoin skyrocketed from approximately $70,000 to nearly $100,000 before experiencing a correction. Following the end of this upward momentum, altcoins were able to capitalize on the situation, particularly Ethereum, which began to surpass Bitcoin in shorter time frames.
While Bitcoin broke previous all-time highs with prices significantly surpassing former records, many altcoins, including Ethereum, are merely experiencing rebounds after facing extended downturns. As an example, Bitcoin’s current price is just 6% shy of last week’s record high, whereas Ethereum is still lagging at 30% below its all-time high from 2021.
In terms of DeFi tokens, AVAX is currently 72% lower than its all-time high from three years ago, with UNI at a decline of 76% and GRT falling even more significantly at 92% from its past peak.
A Resurgence in Decentralized Finance 🌅
It’s essential to acknowledge that a real resurgence in decentralized finance may be taking place. Observations of the total value locked (TVL) in DeFi indicate a promising upward trajectory, still lagging behind the heights reached in 2021.
A year ago, total TVL in DeFi was under 50 billion dollars, but following a rebound starting in late October 2023, TVL surpassed 50 billion at the onset of 2024. There was an initial boom between February and March, escalating TVL back above 90 billion, followed by another surge in May that saw it exceed 100 billion.
After Trump’s election victory—who also recently introduced his DeFi project—TVL jumped again, climbing to over 110 billion dollars. The all-time peak reached just below 180 billion in 2021, highlighting a notable distance from current levels, though a significantly closer amount than just a year ago.
This current revitalization of decentralized finance signals the potential for even greater heights than those seen in 2021, considering this sector has been expanding only since 2020.
Future Outlook for DeFi Tokens 🔮
Despite the recent enthusiasm, the ongoing corrections in Bitcoin’s value could also impact Ethereum and various altcoins, including DeFi tokens. There is speculation that Bitcoin could dip around 10% from its recent highs, while altcoins might experience even more substantial declines compared to recent peaks.
Among the DeFi tokens performing well recently are CRV from Curve Finance, ENA from Atena, DYDX, and LDO from Lido. These tokens might also be susceptible to larger percentage declines.
Furthermore, the performance of decentralized exchanges (DEX) like Uniswap, PancakeSwap, and SushiSwap has improved after several difficult months. It’s crucial to recognize that this recent activity largely represents rebounds following a lengthy bear market. While this may temper optimism, it also suggests potential for continued growth in the medium term.
Source Links
1. AVAX