DeFi Summer 2.0 Incoming?

Stani Kulechov predicts central bank rate cuts will start a new DeFi bull market.

Danielle du Toit
October 01, 2025

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Aave CEO Stani Kulechov predicts central bank rate cuts will start a new DeFi bull market.

Aave founder Stani Kulechov said at Token2049 that central bank rate cuts, including by the Fed and ECB, create arbitrage opportunities that strengthen DeFi yields.
He predicted a new bull market for DeFi as falling rates make decentralized finance yields more attractive globally.
Kulechov compared the outlook to the post-2020 "DeFi summer," when near-zero rates helped total value locked surge from under $1 billion to $10 billion.

Brian Quintenz’s nomination to chair the CFTC was withdrawn by the Trump administration, leaving the agency without permanent leadership.

The Trump administration has withdrawn Brian Quintenz’s nomination to chair the CFTC.
Quintenz is a former CFTC commissioner and current head of crypto policy at Andreessen Horowitz, and partly blamed his failed confirmation on lobbying efforts by Gemini founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss.
He released private text messages showing the Winklevoss twins pressed President Trump to block his nomination after disagreements over Gemini’s $5 million settlement with the CFTC and their push for cultural reform at the agency.

Ripple CTO David Schwartz will step back from daily duties after 13 years, becoming CTO emeritus and a board member.

Ripple CTO David Schwartz announced he will step back from daily duties at the end of 2025 after more than 13 years with the company.
Schwartz was one of the original architects of the XRP Ledger, and said he plans to spend more time with family but will remain active in the XRP community.
He will transition to the honorary role of CTO emeritus and join Ripple’s board of directors.

Aptos and Trump-linked World Liberty Financial teamed up to launch USD1 stablecoins.

Aptos has partnered with the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial to launch the USD1 stablecoin on Oct. 6.
Aptos CEO Avery Ching said WLFI chose Aptos for its speed and low fees, and described it as “way faster than any blockchain out there” with transactions under half a second.
USD1 is a stablecoin that returns yield “back to the people,” and WLFI plans broader retail and banking products in the future.

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