Aave TVL surges to $30 billion, signaling renewed strength in Ethereum DeFi

Aave’s total value locked (TVL) has surged to approximately $30 billion, up 50% from its year-to-date low of $20 billion, reinforcing its status as Ethereum’s leading lending protocol and the second-largest decentralized application by TVL.

The rebound marks a strong vote of confidence in Ethereum’s DeFi ecosystem, which saw reduced activity earlier this year. At the time of writing, Aave is generating more than $1 million in daily fees, signaling active protocol use beyond passive capital deposits.

The resurgence coincides with improved market conditions and price stability for Ethereum, prompting users to reallocate previously idle assets into productive yield-generating strategies. The shift may signal the early stages of a new DeFi expansion cycle, with Aave at the forefront.

Outstanding debt on Aave has grown in line with TVL and now stands at roughly $10 billion, resulting in a debt-to-TVL ratio of about 33%. That level indicates healthy utilization — offering attractive yields while maintaining liquidity buffers for the protocol.

The sustained increase in borrowing activity underscores DeFi’s enduring product-market fit, even as the broader crypto market matures beyond its initial growth phase.

This is an excerpt from The Block's Data & Insights newsletter. Dig into the numbers making up the industry's most thought-provoking trends.