According to @milesdeutscher, DeFi total value locked is nearly back to its 2021 highs, signaling a renewed DeFi cycle and increased capital inflows (source: @milesdeutscher on X, Aug 12, 2025). Traders can validate the claim by checking aggregate TVL across chains on DeFiLlama, which defines TVL as the USD value of assets locked in protocols (source: DeFiLlama TVL dashboard and methodology). For trade timing, monitor whether TVL, DEX spot volume, and lending market utilization continue to post higher highs as confirmation of momentum before adding sector exposure (source: DeFiLlama analytics; Uniswap Labs analytics; Aave protocol analytics).