Ethereum News Today: DeFi TVL Hits $270 Billion as Tokenized Stocks Surge 220% in July 2025

Decentralized finance (DeFi) saw unprecedented growth in July 2025, with total value locked (TVL) surging to a record $270 billion. This rise was largely attributed to the rapid adoption of tokenized stocks, where active wallets increased from approximately 1,600 to over 90,000 in a single month. The growing interest in real-world asset (RWA) tokenization also contributed to a 220% increase in the market capitalization of tokenized stocks, signaling a stronger integration between traditional and digital financial systems [1].

However, user engagement in DeFi did not fully align with the liquidity expansion. According to DappRadar’s data, in July, around 3.85 million of the 22 million daily active wallets interacted with NFT DApps — slightly more than the number engaged in DeFi. This suggests a notable shift in user behavior, with attention increasingly directed toward the NFT market [1].

NFT trading volume experienced a strong rebound in July, rising 96% to $530 million. The average NFT sale price nearly doubled from $52 in June to $105, indicating that while fewer NFTs were being traded, those that were sold commanded significantly higher prices. Blur dominated the Ethereum-based NFT market, capturing up to 80% of daily trading volume. OpenSea continued to lead in active user engagement, while Zora gained traction with its Layer 2 infrastructure and native token, reducing minting costs for creators [1].

Major brands are also experimenting with NFTs, including collaborations like Nike.SWOOSH with EA Sports for virtual sneaker drops, and pilot programs from luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Rolex, as well as Coca-Cola (China) exploring authentication and collectible use cases. These moves highlight a growing interest in leveraging NFTs for brand engagement and digital ownership [1].

Despite the July rebound, the NFT market remains well below its 2021 peak when trading volumes reached tens of billions. DappRadar’s 2024 industry overview shows a 19% annual decline in NFT trading volume and an 18% drop in sales counts, making 2024 one of the weakest years since 2020. In the first half of 2025, NFT sales totaled $2.82 billion, down 4.6% from the second half of 2024, further illustrating a slow but ongoing recovery [1].

Ethereum maintained its leadership in the DeFi space, with TVL reaching $166 billion, significantly outpacing Solana’s $23 billion. Ethereum’s TVL growth was supported by a nearly 60% price increase in July and rising staking rewards, which reached 29.4% annual percentage yield (APY). On Solana, Hyperliquid emerged as a key player, capturing 35% of blockchain revenue and processing over 60% of perpetual trading volume [1].

The evolution of the DeFi and NFT markets points to a broader maturation in the blockchain industry. While DeFi continues to expand through tokenized assets and real-world integration, NFTs are increasingly being driven by utility and functionality rather than speculative value. This shift suggests that both sectors are moving beyond hype and toward more sustainable models of user engagement and value creation [1].

Source:

[1] Cryptonews (https://cryptonews.net/news/nft/31397511/)