# DeFi market growth and asset tokenization > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/defi-market-growth-and-asset-tokenization > Updated: 2026-09-30T07:00:29.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 2. The decentralized finance (DeFi) sector has experienced a significant rebound in activity and valuation. In August, decentralized exchange spot trading volumes approached all-time highs, with combined spot and perpetual volumes exceeding $1.15 trillion for the first time. During this period, total value locked (TVL) across protocols rose by approximately $21 billion to reach $83.2 billion, supported by a surge in tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) such as Treasury funds and private credit. By the end of the third quarter, TVL continued to climb, rising 37.9% to reach $95.42 billion. This growth was largely driven by rising asset prices, particularly a 67% increase in the price of Ether, rather than new capital inflows. Ethereum-related TVL grew to $53.54 billion, accounting for over 56% of the total market. Other developments include the emergence of tokenized stocks within protocols and the rapid growth of the Robinhood Chain, an Ethereum Layer 2 network that surpassed $1 billion in TVL. On the institutional front, Morgan Stanley has launched a Digital Asset Lab to investigate stablecoins and tokenization. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-30: DeFi Total Value Locked rises 37.9% to $95 billion in Q3 DeFi's Total Value Locked rose 37.9% to $95.42 billion in Q3, driven largely by rising Ether prices and growth in tokenized stocks and the new Robinhood Chain. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/defi-total-value-locked-rises-379-to-95-billion-in-q3 ### 2026-09-02: DeFi market sees surge in trading volume and real-world asset deposits DeFi sees a resurgence with August DEX spot volumes hitting $506 billion and tokenized real-world asset deposits tripling to $7.4 billion, even as traditional lending deposits decline. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/defi-market-sees-surge-in-trading-volume-and-real-world-asset-deposits --- Cite as: DeFi market growth and asset tokenization. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/defi-market-growth-and-asset-tokenization