Two-thirds of every dollar borrowed onchain now runs through Ethereum. According to Messari data, Ethereum and its liquid staking tokens account for 67% of all DeFi borrowing activity, a share that grew even as the broader lending market shrank by half.
The numbers behind the squeeze
Total outstanding onchain lending sits at roughly $23 billion, according to Galaxy Research. That figure is a steep drop from the $46 billion highs reached in 2025, representing an approximately 50% decline by May 2026.
The composition of that 67% is worth noting. It isn’t just vanilla ETH serving as collateral. Liquid staking tokens, think stETH from Lido and similar derivatives, make up a meaningful chunk of the borrowing base. Stakers are essentially double-dipping: earning staking yield while simultaneously using their staked assets as collateral to borrow against.
Aave’s quiet engine room
