DeFi

Last week, markets entered a high-level structural rotation amid increasingly hawkish rate-hike expectations. BTC briefly broke above 81,000 USDT, while BTC and ETH gained 2.10% and 0.59%, respectively. Institutional allocation diverged, with net inflows into BTC ETFs declining to $925 million, while ETH ETF inflows increased to $816 million. Gate TradFi trading volume rose approximately 17% to $123 billion, with capital rotating back toward U.S. equities and ETFs. On-chain activity shifted toward Meme and retail trading, while stablecoin supply increased by approximately $1.7 billion and SOL staking assets significantly outperformed ETH. BTC OI fell to approximately $12.4 billion, while demand for short-dated Puts increased. However, 25D Skew recovered to -3% and DVOL declined to around 37, indicating that leveraged momentum buying was cooling.

In August, global capital markets continued to recover amid weakening employment and growth momentum, although inflationary pressures remained unresolved. Policy expectations shifted from further tightening toward a pause in rate hikes and the prospect of eventual easing. AI and mega-cap technology stocks regained prominence in US equities, while gold, energy, and major crypto assets also attracted renewed investor interest. However, elevated US Treasury yields and geopolitical risks continued to constrain institutional risk appetite. In crypto markets, both spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs recorded sustained net inflows. Bitcoin re-emerged as the core institutional holding, while Ethereum retained its role as a higher-beta allocation. Meanwhile, tokenized equities, Meme trading front ends, and x402 emerged as key on-chain themes. GMGN regained its edge as a leading gateway for Meme trading through its multi-chain coverage, while x402’s high-frequency micropayments provided early validat

Last week, markets entered a high-level structural rotation amid increasingly hawkish rate-hike expectations. BTC briefly broke above 81,000 USDT, while BTC and ETH gained 2.10% and 0.59%, respectively. Institutional allocation diverged, with net inflows into BTC ETFs declining to $925 million, while ETH ETF inflows increased to $816 million. Gate TradFi trading volume rose approximately 17% to $123 billion, with capital rotating back toward U.S. equities and ETFs. On-chain activity shifted toward Meme and retail trading, while stablecoin supply increased by approximately $1.7 billion and SOL staking assets significantly outperformed ETH. BTC OI fell to approximately $12.4 billion, while demand for short-dated Puts increased. However, 25D Skew recovered to -3% and DVOL declined to around 37, indicating that leveraged momentum buying was cooling.

BTC and ETH broke through key technical levels, triggering a short squeeze and diverging sharply from U.S. equities. Institutional capital flowed strongly back into crypto ETFs, while TradFi trading activity continued to shift toward equities. Trading activity across ecosystems such as Base and Solana rebounded, with volumes on Aerodrome, Meteora, and Raydium rising sharply. LSTs, Aave borrowing, and stablecoin supply also expanded, indicating renewed on-chain capital deployment into trading, staking, and leveraged strategies. USDC and RLUSD were the primary contributors to stablecoin supply growth. BTC open interest rose to $12.6 billion, while 25D Skew fell to around -5.2% and DVOL climbed to 42–44, indicating that the market maintained medium-term upside exposure while pricing in significantly greater near-term downside risk.

U.S. inflationary pressures eased, shifting the market’s focus toward growth risks, while crypto assets underperformed U.S. equities. BTC and ETH ETFs recorded net inflows of $865 million and $244 million, respectively, signaling a recovery in institutional allocation; Gate TradFi weekly trading volume remained around $115 billion. Weekly DEX trading volume declined 5.2%, although Uniswap V4 and Aerodrome recorded pockets of growth. Robinhood Chain contributed approximately 60% of Uniswap’s weekly protocol revenue, suggesting that capital is increasingly focused on whether trading activity can translate into protocol revenue and other forms of long-term value capture. BTC open interest rose to $12.3 billion while funding rates remained positive. Demand for options-based downside protection increased temporarily, but both Skew and DVOL subsequently normalized, leaving the medium- to long-term market outlook cautiously bullish.

U.S. employment data weakened significantly, reducing expectations for a September rate hike and pushing U.S. Treasury yields lower. BTC and ETH ETFs recorded weekly net inflows of approximately US$865 million and US$244 million, respectively, while Gate’s weekly trading volume approached US$115 billion, reaching a new recent high. On-chain activity shifted from short-lived thematic surges toward structural rotation: PancakeSwap continued to lead Uniswap, while stablecoins, LSTs, and Aave lending expanded moderately as risk appetite improved. Ethereum remained the primary anchor for lending demand, while Monad emerged as the largest source of incremental growth. BTC open interest increased moderately and funding rates remained positive, while options trading showed a bullish bias. The 25D Skew improved from approximately -4 to -6 vol to around -3.6 vol, while DVOL remained low at around 35.

In July, global capital markets continued their structural recovery amid slowing economic growth, persistent inflation, and prolonged high interest rates. U.S. equities remained driven by the AI theme, but capital became increasingly concentrated in large-cap technology companies with stronger earnings visibility and cash flow, while higher-beta growth stocks and commodity-related sectors experienced greater divergence. Although overall risk appetite improved, institutional investors remained selective in their allocations. Within the crypto market, spot Ethereum ETFs attracted substantially stronger inflows than Bitcoin ETFs, indicating a shift from purely defensive positioning toward relative value allocation among major digital assets. Meanwhile, tokenized stocks, Robinhood Chain, and prediction markets emerged as the key themes in on-chain finance. Centralized exchanges, brokerage platforms, and public blockchains competed for liquidity and user distribution, with Robinhood Chain l

Risks of a Fed rate hike and concerns over stagflation intensified. BTC fell 2.8% over the week, while ETH declined 3.56%, and BTC ETFs shifted back to net outflows. Gate TradFi trading volume approached $100 billion, with equity trading activity increasingly concentrated in U.S. and South Korean stocks. PancakeSwap trading volume rose to approximately $16.0 billion, surpassing Uniswap, while Robinhood Chain, RWA-related activity, and PUMP ecosystem meme tokens emerged as key sources of short-term trading flows. Stablecoin supply for USDG, RLUSD, and several others expanded against the broader trend. The LST sector broadly pulled back, although ETH staking assets showed relative resilience, while Aave lending activity was supported by Ethereum, Plasma, and Monad. BTC open interest declined from above $22.5 billion to around $22.0 billion, while funding rates remained positive. In the options market, 25D Skew weakened again as demand for downside protection recovered, while DVOL fell to

Rising concerns over energy supply disruptions in the Middle East pushed both oil prices and inflation expectations higher. Brent crude briefly surpassed $100 per barrel, while the yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury climbed toward 4.70%, weighing on growth stocks and sending the NASDAQ down about 2.1% for the week. The crypto market proved relatively resilient, with BTC consolidating at elevated levels and ETH outperforming on the back of capital rotation. Weekly net inflows into spot BTC ETFs slowed to approximately $34 million, while spot ETH ETFs recorded net inflows for a third consecutive week, reflecting a more selective allocation by institutional investors. On-chain activity showed increasing divergence: PancakeSwap overtook Uniswap, while PumpSwap and social media-driven meme token trading regained momentum. Stablecoin supply remained broadly flat, ETH LST continued to recover, and Aave lending activity became increasingly concentrated on Ethereum. In the derivatives market, B

The crypto market continued its gradual recovery, with both BTC and ETH posting modest gains, while spot ETF flows reversed from net outflows to net inflows. Gate Stocks further diversified its trading structure, with South Korean equities rapidly emerging as a major source of trading volume. Driven by the Robinhood Chain meme narrative, Uniswap recorded a significant surge in trading activity. Ethereum ecosystem protocols such as Lido and Aave continued to benefit from growing inflows into RWAs, stablecoins, and institutional capital. BTC open interest remained range-bound while funding rates stayed positive, indicating that leveraged traders have re-entered the market on the long side, although long positioning has become increasingly crowded. Meanwhile, the 25D Skew continued to recover and DVOL declined toward lower levels, suggesting the market has shifted from pricing in downside protection to a low-volatility recovery phase.

In June, global capital markets were caught between the constraints of higher interest rates, easing geopolitical tensions, and weakening risk appetite, resulting in heightened volatility and continued market divergence. U.S. equities shifted from the AI-driven rally seen in previous months toward a phase of rebalancing, with leading AI and semiconductor stocks pulling back while defensive sectors such as healthcare outperformed. Institutional investors generally reduced exposure to high-volatility assets and rotated toward companies with more reasonable valuations and stronger earnings visibility. Against this backdrop, Gate became the largest weekly distribution channel among Polymarket Builders, highlighting how centralized exchanges are leveraging their user base, liquidity, and distribution capabilities to drive traffic and trading activity for prediction markets. This also reflects the broader evolution of crypto platforms from standalone trading venues into comprehensive financi

In May, global capital markets continued their recovery, with U.S. equities extending gains as the AI theme, resilient corporate earnings, and improving risk appetite supported the broader market, especially in technology and semiconductors. At the same time, structural divergence remained evident, with capital increasingly concentrated in core assets backed by visible growth and solid earnings. Against this backdrop, Gate officially launched real stock trading, further connecting crypto assets with traditional financial markets and providing users with a one-stop multi-asset trading gateway covering crypto, U.S. stocks, and ETFs. This also signals that crypto platforms are accelerating their evolution into comprehensive global financial infrastructure.