DeFi Tokens Overtake Exchange Coins: A New Era of Decentralization?

For the first time since 2024, decentralized finance (DeFi) tokens have surpassed exchange-based coins in market capitalization. This significant shift reflects changing investor sentiment and a renewed focus on blockchain-driven finance as an integral part of the crypto ecosystem. DeFi’s growth stems from rising user activity within decentralized protocols for lending, trading, and yield generation, while centralized exchanges have faced slower growth due to regulatory pressures and declining trading volumes.