Bitcoin holding around $80,668 provides a stable backdrop, but the key signal lies in on-chain metrics. DEX trading volume and protocol fee generation remain exceptionally strong, indicating sustained user activity over pure exchange leverage.

TVL trends across major chains show solid capital retention despite recent chop. When sustained fee growth aligns with spot consolidation, it reflects true ecosystem demand rather than retail FOMO. Measure fee-to-mcap ratios before scaling into DeFi exposure.

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