The decentralized finance (DeFi) landscape has gone through a stormy start this year, with broader market drawdowns in terms of Total Value Locked (TVL). However, irrespective of the wider slowdown in the market, the real-world asset (RWA) initiatives and on-chain gold have proved to be the winners over the recent thirty days. As per the data from Sentora, the on-chain gold projects, including Paxos Gold and Tether Gold, have shown massive growth and resilience. In the meantime, the BUIDL fund of BlackRock, as well as Ondo Finance, has expressed steady gains, signifying the surging demand for the asset-backed blockchain initiatives.
While the market-wide drawdown in TVL has stabilized, only RWA-focused projects have delivered net positive growth over the past 30 days. Onchain gold has grown notably, led by Tether Gold and Paxos Gold.BlackRock’s BUIDL and Ondo Finance have also shown strong growth. pic.twitter.com/c0fa6xyMlo
— Sentora (@SentoraHQ) February 17, 2026
Tether Gold Jumps above $3B in TVL Amid Continuous RWA Market Growth
The on-chain data discloses a substantial TVL growth of RWAs and on-chain gold projects. In this respect, Tether Gold has experienced a sheer rise in its TVL since the early days of February, surging above the $3B spot. The respective surge points toward the spiking investor confidence when it comes to tokenized gold as a critical volatility hedge in crypto and traditional markets.
Apart from that, Paxos Gold has also presented consistent uptrend, reaffirming the preference for on-chain gold as a safe-haven asset within the digital economy. On the other hand, the BUIDL fund of BlackRock has reportedly remained comparatively stable, suggesting the institutional positioning thereof. However, Ondo Finance keeps gradually building appeal among DeFi community.
Tokenized Commodities and RWA Offerings Indicate Turning Point in DeFi Landscape
According to Sentora, the comparative TVL analysis underscores the preference for organized RWA offerings and tokenized commodities within the DeFi sector. Particularly, the gold-backed tokens’ resilience discloses that the investors are increasingly looking for both accessibility and stability in the highly uncertain macroeconomic conditions. Overall, the TVL trends denote a turning point at the intersection of blockchain-based efficiency and transparency, along with enduring RWA value.