RFS DeFi Risk Intelligence Weekly

Institutional-Grade DeFi Risk Monitoring brought to you by RFS Consulting

AuthorAuthor

Camryn Odom & Robert Franklin III
July 02, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

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Welcome to another edition of RFS DeFi Risk Intelligence Weekly!

Here’s whats new this week:

🚨 Market Snapshot

Global TVL: $3.11 T (ATH)

DeFi Lending TVL: $56 B (Aave dominates)

BTC ETF Inflows: $5.2 B (Record institutional momentum)

Ethereum MEV Share: ~25% of fees (Volatility-driven

 

DefiLlama - Global TVL Growth

DefiLlama is a DeFi TVL aggregator. It is committed to providing accurate data without ads or sponsored content, as well as transparency.

DefiLlama - Aave Live Chart

DefiLlama is a DeFi TVL aggregator. It is committed to providing accurate data without ads or sponsored content, as well as transparency.

Spark (SPK) Price Chart - Buy and Sell on Phantom

Phantom is your go-to crypto wallet. Buy cryptocurrency. Trade memecoins. Store your assets. Grow your portfolio. Available on Solana, Ethereum, Bitcoin, Base, and Sui.

Morpho TVL Growth Chart

Dune is the all-in-one crypto data platform — query with SQL, stream data via APIs & DataShare, and publish interactive dashboards across 100+ blockchains.

Bitcoin Average Transaction Fee Daily Interactive Chart: Bitcoin Statistics | YCharts

(I:BATFND) Chart data for Bitcoin Average Transaction Fee from 2009 to 2025. Visually compare against similar indicators, plot min/max/average, compute correlations.

📚 Educational Deep Dive

Beyond TVL: Smarter Metrics

TVL alone is often misleading. New metrics to watch:

  • TVR (Total Value Redeemable): Measures real withdrawable value.

  • REV (Real Economic Value): Adjusted for synthetic leverage.

  • TVS (Total Value Secured): Security- and risk-adjusted locked value.

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⚔️ MEV — The Silent Drain

  • MEV on Ethereum ≈ 10%–30% of fees, even higher during volatility.

  • On L2 rollups, bots use 50%+ of gas yet pay <25% in actual fees.

  • Mitigation: Flashbots, private mempools, auction-based builders.

📉 RFS Risk Scores - Week of June 30th, 2025

Risk Factor

Score

Commentary

TVL Integrity

🟢 Low

Strong base asset quality

MEV Exposure

🟠 Medium High

Especially on L2 rollups

Security Posture

🟢 Low

Regular audits, insurance partners

Lending Leverage

🟠 Medium

Rapid growth; monitor closely

Composite Score

🟠 Medium

Balanced, but watch MEV risks

🧩 Actionable Intelligence

  1. Favor protocols with audited, verifiable TVL.

  2. Monitor MEV metrics as early warning signals.

  3. Evaluate lending pool health before allocating.

  4. Incorporate TVR & REV into institutional risk dashboards

🙇🏾‍♀️ Camryn’s Corner

Welcome to another segment of ‘Camryn’s Corner’ brought to you by your co-author and editor! Each week I will highlight my top 5 DeFi Applications, Protocols, or other news worthy subjects in the crypto and DeFi world.

Understanding Core Crypto Protocols: A Beginner's Guide

For newcomers to the crypto world, understanding the underlying protocols is key to grasping how digital assets function. These protocols are essentially the rulebooks that govern how transactions are processed, data is secured, and networks operate. Familiarizing yourself with the most prominent ones will demystify much of the blockchain landscape and empower you to make informed decisions.

Here are 5 essential crypto protocols that every newcomer should look out for:

Protocol

 Primary Function

Why it's important for beginners

Bitcoin (BTC)

Digital Peer-to-Peer Cash System

The original cryptocurrency, fundamental to understanding decentralization, digital scarcity, and Proof-of-Work (PoW).

Ethereum (ETH)

Smart Contract Platform

Enables decentralized applications (dApps), NFTs, and DeFi. Crucial for understanding the broader utility of blockchain beyond just payments.

Solana (SOL)

High-Performance Blockchain

Known for its speed and low transaction costs, offering an alternative to Ethereum for dApps and NFTs, particularly for those seeking faster experiences.

Cardano (ADA)

Proof-of-Stake Blockchain (Research-driven)

Focuses on scalability, sustainability, and peer-reviewed research. Offers a different approach to blockchain development with a strong community.

Polygon (MATIC)

Ethereum Layer-2 Scaling Solution

Addresses Ethereum's scalability and high transaction fee issues, making dApps and DeFi more accessible and affordable for everyday users.

🙍🏾‍♂️ About RFS Consulting

RFS Consulting provides institutional-grade DeFi risk intelligence and compliance advisory. Our analytics framework helps clients make data-driven, secure, and compliant decisions in an evolving crypto world.

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📢 Call to Action

Now Accepting 3 Pilot Clients

We’re onboarding a limited number of DeFi protocols and institutional funds into our real-time risk scoring dashboard and DeFi compliance architecture.

💼 Custom engagements | Audit-aligned scoring | Institutional onboarding

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Till next time,

RFS DeFi Risk Intelligence Weekly

🔓Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell securities or digital assets.