Recently, I've been looking into the DeFi ecosystem and suddenly thought of a question: why have DeFi coins remained so popular over the past few years?

In fact, looking back, the rise of DeFi coins is a paradigm shift in finance. Simply put, DeFi coins are tokens that drive the operation of decentralized finance, gradually eliminating the need for intermediaries in traditional financial systems. Loans, insurance, trading—things that used to require banks or brokers can now be done directly through DeFi coins and related protocols.

Since the emergence of the DeFi concept in 2018, the development speed of this sector has been truly astonishing. Remember the market surge in 2020? The total value locked in DeFi skyrocketed from less than $1 billion to over $14 billion, and by 2021, it even surpassed $15 billion. What does this growth rate indicate? It shows that the market’s recognition of assets like DeFi coins is rapidly increasing.

Now, the application scenarios for DeFi coins are becoming more diverse. You can use them as collateral to borrow, participate in liquidity mining to earn yields, or hold tokens to gain governance rights. These functions make DeFi coins no longer just simple trading tools but genuine means of production.

Interestingly, the entire DeFi ecosystem is evolving. From the earliest foundational protocols, it has now developed into cross-chain solutions, Layer 2 integrations, and even insurance protocols specifically designed to manage risks. The concept of DeFi 2.0 is also gaining popularity, with everyone exploring more sustainable profit models rather than short-term high APYs.

This is also why I believe DeFi coins are worth continuous attention. They are not just tokens but carriers of financial democratization. Whether you want to participate in liquidity mining, earn lending yields, or are simply interested in the DeFi ecosystem itself, DeFi coins offer direct participation opportunities. If you’re also following this field, there are many DeFi trading pairs on Gate, so you can check out which projects are worth paying attention to now.