Capital is rotating back into DeFi even as the sector continues to absorb bridge exploits worth hundreds of millions of dollars and persistent regulatory pressure. Total value locked across DeFi is now estimated in the $130 billion to $140 billion range, with usage metrics moving higher on Solana, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, and BNB.
Data cited from CoinLaw and MEXC’s DeFi dashboards shows lending utilization rising and DEX volumes increasing across several major alt-L1 and L2 ecosystems. Security concerns have not disappeared, and token prices remain volatile. Still, on-chain activity suggests users are again willing to take smart-contract risk in exchange for lower fees and deeper liquidity.
Solana and Arbitrum post stronger trading flow
On Solana, DeFi TVL recently climbed to about 80 million SOL, or roughly $10 billion based on the article’s figures, up from around $8.1 billion in late 2025. Monthly DEX volume across leading Solana venues has exceeded $100 billion in some months, putting the network ahead of Ethereum in raw trading flow.
Arbitrum is also showing strong momentum. According to DeFiLlama data cited in the report, weekly DEX volume on the network is above $5.5 billion, with double-digit week-over-week growth. Optimism and Polygon were also highlighted as chains where activity is picking up, pointing to continued user migration toward lower-cost execution environments.
Gaming NFTs point to a broader market shift
The move is not only about yield. Longer-range data in the report suggests a wider shift toward gaming infrastructure and blockchain-based digital assets. CoinLaw projects the global NFT market will reach $60.82 billion in 2026, with gaming NFTs accounting for about 38% of total NFT transaction volume.
The blockchain gaming market itself is forecast to hit roughly $17.82 billion in 2026. Cross-chain asset interoperability, in-game marketplaces, and play-to-earn reward loops were cited as key factors keeping users active on-chain even during weaker market periods.
BNB Smart Chain holds about 22% of NFT gaming share
That activity is not centered on Ethereum mainnet. Updated 2026 statistics from CoinLaw show BNB Smart Chain controls around 22% of the NFT gaming market. MEXC’s gaming reports also identify BNB as the largest chain by daily active users and a major venue for GameFi TVL among EVM-compatible networks.
The report frames this as a market where builders are still shipping products across DeFi and gaming despite repeated exploits hitting bridges and restaking protocols. The ecosystems drawing the closest attention are Solana, Arbitrum, Optimism, Polygon, and BNB, where future trading volume and fee generation may increasingly cluster if users keep seeking both yield and playable on-chain experiences.