Find out which DeFi projects are leading the way in 2025. We will also talk about multi-chain solutions, AI integration, asset tokenization, and the best platforms for staking and lending.
DeFi (Decentralized Finance) is an ecosystem of financial services operating on the blockchain without the involvement of banks or other intermediaries. Unlike traditional finance, where transactions are controlled by centralized institutions, DeFi uses smart contracts—self-executing programs that automate lending, trading, staking, and other financial transactions.
DeFi applications are built on four key principles: complete transparency of all transactions on the blockchain, no traditional intermediaries such as banks, automation of processes through smart contracts, and decentralized management through DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations). This category of crypto services gives users direct access to financial services, and all actions are recorded in a public registry (blockchain) that cannot be changed retroactively.
The DeFi space offers a variety of solutions, including:
Decentralized exchanges (DEX) such as Uniswap and PancakeSwap, which allow trading without intermediaries;
Stablecoins (USDT, USDC, DAI) pegged to national currencies, commodities, or securities (gold, stocks, bonds) to minimize volatility;
staking platforms (Lido, Rocket Pool), where users earn income for supporting the blockchain;
credit protocols (Aave, Compound) with algorithmic interest rate determination;
yield aggregators (Yearn Finance), which automatically search for the best conditions for deposits;
platforms for creating synthetic assets (Synthetix), which provide access to tokenized stocks, commodities, and indices.
What to look for when choosing a DeFi platform
When choosing DeFi, it is important to evaluate the key economic parameters of the project. It is worth paying attention to liquidity because a high indicator means lower price losses when performing transactions — to do this, check the metrics of the number of user deposits locked in the application (TVL, Total Value Locked) on services such as DefiLlama. Protocols with liquidity of less than $10 million can be considered risky.
Analyze not only APY/APR (potential annual return), but also the stability of returns. High expected returns, over 10% or even 20% per annum, often turn out to be temporary. Study the native token issuance and inflation models, otherwise your funds may depreciate over time.
It is worth paying attention not only to the potential return, but also to key reliability parameters.
Code security and auditing
Check whether the project has undergone independent audits (e.g., by CertiK or PeckShield). Study the history of hacks — even top protocols have vulnerabilities, and it is important to understand how they have dealt with them in the past. Pay attention to the availability of insurance funds (e.g., Nexus Mutual).
Ease of use and wallet support
A high-quality DeFi project should support popular wallets (MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Ledger) and have an intuitive interface even for beginners. For user convenience, high-quality projects operate on multiple blockchain networks (Ethereum, BSC, Arbitrum, etc.).
It is also worth paying attention to active social networks such as Discord, Telegram, X, regular code updates on the GitHub developer platform, and community participation in DAO voting — these are all positive signs for a project.
The best DeFi projects of 2025
Uniswap is one of the largest decentralized trading platforms in the world in terms of daily trading volume, with $2.3 billion, according to DEfillama on May 30. This gives it a 13 percent share of the DEX market. Among centralized exchanges such as Binance, Bybit, Coinbase, OKX, and Upbit, it would rank third. Uniswap supports 34 blockchains and has also launched its own L2 network, Unichain.
Aave is the largest lending DeFi platform on the crypto market. The total amount of funds locked exceeded $24 billion, with $15 billion in loans issued through the platform, according to Defillama at the end of May. For over a year, the protocol's monthly revenue has not fallen below $4 million.
Lido is the second largest DeFi application in the cryptocurrency market after Aave and also the largest in terms of total value locked (TVL) among projects in the liquid staking sector. The platform's TVL exceeds $23 billion. The project's share of the total DeFi market exceeds 19%.
Curve Finance is a decentralized trading platform specializing in the exchange of stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies whose prices usually do not differ much from each other. The volume of user deposits on it exceeds $2.3 billion.
GMX is a decentralized exchange for trading cryptocurrencies and perpetual futures contracts, offering low fees and zero slippage (price changes at the time of trade execution). It is supported by the Arbitrum, Avalanche, and Solana networks. Its key advantages are trading with 50x leverage and a transparent revenue model without KYC. Synthetix is a protocol that allows synthetic assets to be issued on the Ethereum blockchain.
A Synthetic asset can be viewed as a derivative that allows you to access an asset without owning it. The main thing is that thanks to Synthetix, traders can access certain assets that are not available on the network. Synthetix also allows you to create indices, such as the DeFi index, which can be used to track the prices of several DeFi assets.
Promising newcomers and second-tier projects
In addition to the DeFi market leaders in 2025, there are a number of promising fast-growing projects.
Radiant Capital is a protocol that aims to solve the problem of capital fragmentation in the DeFi market landscape. The platform combines liquidity from various blockchains, bringing everything together in one place.
Pendle is a platform focused on tokenizing the future returns of assets. Users can split their assets into components, trading the “returns” as a standalone asset on the secondary market. Pendle can use artificial intelligence algorithms to optimize management strategies and predict future returns.
Stargate — The protocol offers a unique single liquidity pool model that enables instant cross-chain transactions between dozens of blockchain networks without the need for traditional bridges. The project also allows users to earn income for storing assets in bridges.
Morpho — a project in the decentralized lending sector. The platform's solutions automatically distribute liquidity across different lending protocols, ensuring maximum returns with minimal risk. There is a particular focus on working with stablecoins.
Frax Finance is a platform specializing in the creation of hybrid stablecoins with the ability to generate income through investments in traditional financial instruments.
DeFi trends in 2025
Modern DeFi users are increasingly favoring platforms that operate across multiple blockchain networks, as they eliminate the need for complex bridges and reduce transaction costs. Solutions such as LayerZero, Stargate, and Chainlink CCIP enable the secure transfer of assets between Ethereum, Solana, Cosmos, and other blockchains, making DeFi truly accessible. This is especially important for traders and investors who want to maximize returns without being limited to a single blockchain.
In the future, artificial intelligence (AI) could radically change DeFi. Currently, AI is used by platforms for complex, resource-intensive calculations. For example, Pendle uses AI to predict returns, automatically rebalance portfolios, and identify optimal strategies in real time. Other examples include analyzing historical data, market trends, and liquidation risks, helping users earn more with minimal involvement.
