The year 2025 begins in a contrasting tone for the crypto industry. If the protocols DEFI suffer from a marked fall of their total locked value (TVL), decentralized applications, in particular those focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and social networks, display solid growth. What are the engines of these opposite dynamics and what prospects are available to the ecosystem for the coming months?
The slowdown in protocols DEFI in the first quarter of 2025
The DEFI sector experienced a significant drop in the first quarter of 2025, with a 27 % drop in TVL, which fell to $ 156 billion against $ 251 billion in 2024. Among the factors behind this tasting, there is generalized economic uncertainty as well as incidents such as bybit.
In addition, major blockchains such as Ethereum, Solana and Tron have recorded notable declines from their TVL, while initiatives like Berachain have seen a slight success. The drop in the price of the ETH, which dropped by 45 % during this period, also generally impacted the DEFI sector, exacerbating the difficulties encountered by these protocols.
In addition, the DAPPS industry has also shown signs of slowdown, with a 3 % drop in daily active active portfolios (DUAW), bringing the total to 24 million. This trend could be explained by growing competition and the emergence of new economic models. However, certain categories, in particular Dapps centered on AI, seem less affected by these fluctuations and continue to grow, thus strengthening the resilience of this space.
The ascent of IA and Social Applications
Speaking of artificial intelligence, AI and social applications are experiencing sustained growth. The daily active users of these applications increased by 29 %, while those in social networks increased by 10 %.
Artificial intelligence, far from being a simple concept, becomes a major engine of user behavior, transforming their interaction with blockchain. As for social applications, they continue to attract a broad commitment, despite a volatile market environment.
The prospects for the next quarters
Could the DEFI sector experience a rebound? Although the current decline is worrying, measures to stabilize TVL and stimulate commitment are possible. At the same time, DAPPS, especially those linked to AI and social networks, will probably continue to grow, and their market share could further increase in the coming months.
The first quarter of 2025 therefore revealed a mutation crypto sector. If the DEFI is going through a difficult period and the NFT market collapses by 63 %, IA and social applications, on the other hand, are in full ascent. The future of crypto industry will depend on the capacity of players to adapt to an ever more competitive and volatile market, while promoting innovation.
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