DeFi, or decentralized finance, is reshaping the financial system by making it faster, more transparent, and more secure. 

With innovations like decentralized lending, staking, and yield farming, DeFi has reshaped traditional finance and opened up a world of opportunities for investors and developers alike. DeFi is changing the rules of finance; hence, tracking its progress is essential to understand its impact on the financial landscape.

Although DeFi is a relatively new concept, having emerged only in the past few years, the data shows its rapid popularity growth. Check out the data below. 

Quick Overview of Major DeFi Statistics 

  1. By August 2024, DeFi users have skyrocketed to 83.2 million.
  2. The DeFi market is projected to hit $78.47 billion by 2029.
  3. By August 2024, the total value locked (TVL) across various DeFi blockchains has reached $87.5 billion.
  4. North America is leading the charge as the fastest-growing DeFi market, holding 35% of the market share.

DeFi Market Share 

In 2022, the DeFi market was valued at approximately $22 billion and was projected to grow to $23.99 billion in 2023. 

As of 2024, the market size currently stands at $46.61 billion. 

By 2029, it’s expected to reach $78.47 billion, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.98%. 

This steady growth highlights the increasing adoption of decentralized finance as an alternative to traditional financial systems. 

DeFi Monthly Unique User Count 

In November 2021, the number of unique DeFi users peaked at 7,540,644. 

By March 2024, this number had dropped slightly to 6,825,100. 

These figures represent the total number of unique wallet addresses participating in DeFi, whether through buying or selling specific DeFi-related projects. 

DeFi TVL Statistics 

As of August 2024, the total value locked (TVL) across multiple DeFi blockchains is $87.5 billion. 

In November 2021, TVL hit an all-time high of $174.83 billion. This marks a 49.95% decrease over the nearly three-year period. 

DeFi Revenue Figure 

In 2021, DeFi protocols generated $3.05 billion in revenue. 

This grew to $4.63 billion in 2022 and surged to $5.97 billion in 2023. As of September 2024, DeFi protocol revenues have reached $8.76 billion. 

This steady growth highlights decentralized finance’s increasing adoption and importance in the global financial ecosystem.

DeFi Protocol Fees 

DeFi protocols charge users fees for validating transactions, securing the ecosystem, and incentivizing participants. 

These fees are essential to keeping the DeFi ecosystem functioning efficiently. Over time, the fees collected by DeFi protocols have grown significantly. In 2021, cumulative fees amounted to $3.05 billion. 

By the end of 2022, they had increased to $4.62 billion; in 2023, they reached $5.98 billion. Currently, total DeFi fees stand at $8.28 billion. 

Top 5 DeFi Protocol Revenue 

Here’s a list of DeFi protocols with top revenues – 

Protocol  Protocol Revenue 
Lido $773.33 million
Uniswap $436.51 million
PancakeSwap $268.37 million
Aave $255.09 million
MakerDAO  $178.43 million

DeFi Market Share Regional Analysis 

North America is the fastest-growing DeFi market, with a 35% market share. 

However, Asia holds the largest DeFi market share. Countries like India, Vietnam, and the Philippines are leading Asia’s rapid DeFi adoption. 

This highlights Asia’s dominance in DeFi while North America expands quickly.

Total DeFi Users Over Time 

In 2021, the total number of DeFi users reached 20,311,266. 

This figure grew significantly in 2022, rising to 34,687,194, and continued its upward trend in 2023, hitting 49,861,105. 

As of August 2024, the DeFi user base has surged to 83,226,910. This sharp increase reflects the growing adoption of decentralized finance, indicating its mainstream appeal and the expanding utility of DeFi platforms.

Hacker Attacks On DeFi

Between 2021 and 2022, hackers stole nearly $2.5 billion and $3.1 billion from DeFi protocols. Researchers found that Solana and EVM-based chains were the most targeted due to their capacity to execute smart contracts, making them attractive for exploits.

However, 2023 saw a significant decline in DeFi protocol theft, dropping by 63.7%. The total stolen in 2023 was $1.18 billion across 172 hacks.

This sharp decline suggests that DeFi platforms improve security, but vulnerabilities remain.

DeFi Average Revenue Per User Statistics

Experts predict that in 2025, the average revenue per user (ARPU) on DeFi protocols will be around $7.0. This represents a sharp decline from recent years when ARPU was significantly higher.

In 2024, the ARPU stands at $7.9, a considerable drop from the $46.3 recorded in 2023. ARPU measures how much revenue a DeFi platform generates, on average, from each user.

Historically, ARPU peaked in 2021, reaching $148.4. It saw a slight decrease in 2022, dropping to $126.6. These figures reflect the rapid growth and excitement around DeFi during its boom period, which has since stabilized as the market matured and user activity spread across more platforms.

DeFi User Penetration Rate

Experts expect the user penetration rate in the DeFi sector to reach 0.69% by 2025. As of 2024, the user penetration rate has hit this milestone at 0.69%.

The penetration rate measures how widely DeFi is used relative to the global population, reflecting the sector’s adoption and growth.

Since 2021, the DeFi user penetration rate has steadily increased. In 2021 it was around 0.55%, rising to 0.56% in 2022 and 0.61% in 2023. Despite market volatility, this consistent growth shows growing interest and trust in decentralized finance.

24-Hour Trading Volume On DeFi Protocols

The 24-hour trading volume on DeFi protocols peaked on May 21, 2021, reaching $12.97 billion. In 2024, the highest daily volume was recorded on August 4, at $9.2 billion.

Funding & Investments In the DeFi Sector

The DeFi sector has seen significant investment in recent years, driven by its potential to revolutionize traditional finance.

According to 2022 data, DeFi startups secured over $2.7 billion in funding. The largest share of this funding flowed into the borrowing and lending sector, reflecting its central role in the DeFi ecosystem.

By 2024, the total funds raised by the DeFi sector skyrocketed to $103.563 billion. This explosive growth highlights how DeFi has matured and continues to attract substantial interest from investors, venture capitalists, and institutions.

More DeFi Statistics

  1. The total debt across DeFi lending protocols is estimated to be around $25 billion. (Source – bis.org)
  2. DeFi lending protocols saw impressive growth, with total value locked (TVL) surpassing $50 billion during the market’s peak in early 2022. (Source – bis.org)
  3. The total value locked in decentralized finance has grown more than fivefold since July 2020. (Source – explodingtopics.com)
  4. DeFi is projected to generate $231 billion in revenue by 2030. (Source – nansen.ai)