Gate Research: Institutional Bets on Ethereum Reach New High, Emerging Chains See Rapid Inflows | Web3 On-Chain Data Insights for August 2025

In August 2025, Solana continued to dominate high-frequency interaction, while Ethereum saw net inflows exceeding $2 billion, reaching new all-time highs in both price and institutional allocation—solidifying its status as a high-value chain. Polygon and other sidechains experienced significant capital outflows, accelerating on-chain structural divergence. Bitcoin briefly surpassed $124,000, then entered a mild correction phase marked by low selling pressure and stable support, suggesting technical consolidation rather than trend reversal. Aave launched the Horizon platform to expand into the RWA lending market, strengthening its position at the intersection of DeFi and traditional finance. Meanwhile, BIO attracted rapid inflows through its V2 upgrade and staking expansion, highlighting strong growth potential in the DeSci sector.

• On-Chain Overview: In August 2025, Solana led all mainnets with over 29 billion transactions and 3.58 million daily active addresses, while Base remained the top-performing Layer 2 network. Ethereum hit a record 51.77 million transactions for the second consecutive month and continued to lead in fee revenue, underscoring its dominance as a value-carrying main chain. Significant capital outflows from Polygon and other sidechains further accelerated on-chain structural divergence, resulting in a layered ecosystem of "high-frequency interaction" and "value-carrying" chains.
• Bitcoin Key Metrics: After reaching an all-time high of $124,000, Bitcoin entered a consolidation phase amid slowing capital inflows and mild selling pressure. On-chain data shows concentrated cost-basis support between $93,000 and $110,000, while unrealized losses remain low—indicating a stable market structure and suggesting the pullback is corrective, not reversal-driven.
• Trending Projects Overview: Aave’s total value locked (TVL) surpassed $41.1 billion, and when including outstanding loans, its total capital scale exceeded $70 billion—securing its lead in the DeFi lending market. Its new Horizon platform enables RWA-backed stablecoin lending, accelerating institutional adoption and strengthening Aave's role at the core of on-chain finance.
• Trending Tokens Overview: BIO surged following its V2 upgrade and staking incentives, with both market cap and TVL doubling in August. The token saw nearly 200% growth within a week, driven by continued capital inflows and expanding ecosystem integration—positioning BIO as a key contender in the growing DeSci sector.

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Investing in cryptocurrency markets involves high risks. Users are advised to conduct their own research and fully understand the nature of the assets and products before making any investment decisions. Gate is not responsible for any losses or damages arising from such decisions.

Gate Team
September 10, 2025

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