Curve Finance, a major decentralized exchange (DEX) known for stablecoin trading, announced it reached $34.6 billion in trading volume during the first quarter of 2025.
This marks a 13.3% increase from the same period last year and sets a new all-time high for the platform. The number of transactions also jumped to 5.5 million, showing growing activity despite a wider downturn in the DeFi sector.
While the overall crypto market has dropped by around 30% since late 2024, Curve has managed to grow. According to DeFiLlama, the platform had a total value locked (TVL) of $2.1 billion in Q1 and currently holds about $1.8 billion. Its CRV token, however, has not shared the same success and is down nearly 60% since January.
Still, the platform’s core use and adoption are climbing. Over 5.5 million unique addresses have interacted with Curve’s contracts, showing that users continue to trust the platform for stablecoin trading.
New Focus: Boosting crvUSD and User Experience
Looking ahead, Curve plans to push forward with its native stablecoin, crvUSD, which currently has a market cap of around $121 million. The team is working on adding more utility and minting options for crvUSD, hoping it will become a bigger part of the DeFi ecosystem.
Improving the user experience is also a key part of Curve’s plan. They aim to make the platform easier to use for both individuals and institutions by simplifying interfaces and launching a lighter version of Curve, called Curve-Lite, across multiple blockchains.
Additionally, Llamalend, Curve’s lending platform, is expected to receive updates that will unify all lending markets under one user-friendly system.
Making DeFi More Accessible
Curve’s broader mission is to evolve from just a DEX into a core part of the DeFi infrastructure. But they believe that the biggest challenge isn’t technical — it’s making DeFi easier for the average person. Instead of expecting users to understand complex mechanics, Curve plans to abstract the complexity and offer a smoother experience, similar to how people use smartphones without knowing how they work.
The team believes this approach is the key to scaling DeFi: not just through education, but through design and simplicity.