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De fi tokens aave, uni, mkr plunge: is this the bottom?

DeFi Tokens in Decline | Is Aave the Buy Amid a Sea of Red?

By

Sofia Dimitrova

Feb 11, 2026, 03:20 PM

Edited By

Maya Singh

Updated

Feb 11, 2026, 10:51 PM

2 minutes reading time

A graphic showing the decline in value of DeFi tokens Aave, Uni, and MKR, with downward arrows and financial charts

Aave, Uniswap, and Maker have fallen 70-80% from their peaks, sparking debate among investors. With sentiment against these once-popular tokens, many are weighing if this is a sign of the DeFi boom fading or simply a rough market phase.

Market Dynamics and User Perspectives

Discussions on various forums pinpoint different reasons for the plunge, including regulatory hurdles and collapsed yields. The convenience of centralized exchanges is also leading traders to abandon decentralized finance. Many users report a palpable shift in sentiment, moving from excitement about these projects to questioning their long-term viability.

"Not dead, just boring. Aave, Uni, Maker still workโ€”they just donโ€™t have hype right now," stated one forum contributor. This view seems to resonate across the community, reflecting frustration as well as cautious optimism.

Insights from the Users

Recent comments highlight some key themes:

  • Aave's Resilience: One user emphasized Aave's strong revenue stream and mentioned the DAO's commitment to ensuring consistent support for the token. "Iโ€™d buy Aave here the DAO is literally forcing the dev team to support the token," they noted, underscoring confidence in Aaveโ€™s operating model.

  • Long-Term Potential: Another commenter pointed out that while DeFi tokens behave like liquidity assets, the underlying protocols continue to generate fees. "The tokens trade more like liquidity beta than cash-flow equities," they observed, suggesting a different viewpoint on value.

  • Risk Assessment: An analytical comment shared insights from CORE3, indicating Aave scored high on risk assessment due to proven transparency and sound practices. The comment warned that with evolving regulations, having the current clarity could be a significant advantage for these protocols in attracting institutional investment.

"the structural position of these protocols relative to regulatory clarity is worth paying attention to."

Speculation on Recovery

While disillusionment persists, some users believe now could be an opportune moment to invest. "Protocols still work and are cheap compared to previous cycles. DeFi usually shines when crypto markets go risk-on," one user remarked, hinting at potential price recovery if the market sentiment turns positive again.

Key Highlights

  • โš ๏ธ 70-80% price drops in Aave, Uni, and Maker raise serious concerns.

  • ๐Ÿ’ฌ "The DAO is literally forcing the dev team to support the token," a key user insight.

  • ๐Ÿ“ˆ Aave's robust risk score indicates strong potential amidst regulatory clarity.

Investors face a critical juncture as the DeFi market wrestles with its identity. Could this be a moment of renewal or a prolonged downturn for tokens like Aave, Uniswap, and Maker?