According to BlockBeats, a report from Galaxy Research reveals that the crypto market's mortgage volume increased by 27% in the second quarter, reaching $53.1 billion, the highest level since early 2022. This growth was primarily driven by rising demand for DeFi lending and a resurgence in risk appetite. Bitcoin's price fell from $124,000 to $118,000, leading to over $1 billion in liquidations in the crypto derivatives market, marking the largest long liquidation since early August. Analysts suggest this is more of a healthy profit-taking rather than the start of a reversal, but it highlights the market's vulnerability when leverage accumulates rapidly.
Galaxy analysts noted that stress points are beginning to emerge. In July, Aave experienced significant withdrawals, pushing ETH lending rates above Ethereum staking yields, disrupting the 'circular arbitrage' trading logic, which involves using staked ETH as collateral to borrow more ETH. This deleveraging process triggered a rush to exit staked positions, setting a 13-day record for Ethereum's beacon chain exit queue.
Galaxy also reported that since July, the borrowing cost of USDC in the over-the-counter market has been rising, while on-chain lending rates have remained stable. The spread between the two has widened to its highest level since late 2024. This divergence indicates that the demand for dollars off-chain has surpassed on-chain liquidity, which could exacerbate volatility if market conditions tighten further. With the surge in loan volumes, concentrated borrowing power, tightening DeFi liquidity, and the growing gap between on-chain and off-chain dollar markets, the system is showing more stress points. Thursday's $1 billion liquidation serves as a reminder of the bidirectional impact of leverage.
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