Core Insights - The decentralized finance (DeFi) sector is viewed as a significant investment opportunity, comparable to investing in the internet in 2002, according to Bitwise investment chief Matt Hougan [2][6] - Aave, a decentralized lending protocol, has reached a record $73 billion in deposits, indicating strong growth in the DeFi space [2][4] - Other DeFi protocols such as EigenLayer, Ethena, ether.fi, Pendle, and Hyperliquid have also achieved new highs in total value locked recently [5] Industry Trends - Aave's deposits have shown a steady increase since 2023, recovering from a drop below $10 billion after the FTX collapse in late 2022 [4] - Regulatory clarity from the SEC's Project Crypto initiative could significantly boost growth for DeFi platforms, as it aims to modify U.S. securities laws to support on-chain operations [6][7] - Hougan suggests that clearer regulations could lead to stronger economic ties between DeFi tokens and their underlying protocols, potentially unlocking substantial value [8]