Etherlink ecosystem expands with KuCoin support and records $60M TVL

The Etherlink ecosystem has expanded further with KuCoin introducing support for XTZ deposits and withdrawals directly on the network, as per the information shared with Finbold on September 11. 

The integration has driven additional activity on Etherlink, contributing to a record total value locked (TVL) of $60 million.

$60 Million TVL. pic.twitter.com/c3NC52ICSb

— Etherlink 🔗 (@etherlink) September 10, 2025

KuCoin integration strengthens access to Etherlink

KuCoin users can now deposit and withdraw Tezos (XTZ) natively through the Etherlink network, providing faster access to the ecosystem with sub-500ms confirmations and near-zero fees for exchange operations. The move follows growing momentum for Etherlink, with demand boosted by the launch of Apple Farm Season 2.

The incentive program has expanded in its second season with the addition of multiple protocols, helping TVL peak at $60 million on September 5. Participants have until mid-November to maximize rewards before the season closes.

Recent launches include stXTZ liquid staking via Stacy.fi, allowing users to hold a liquid staked token usable across DeFi while still earning yield, and Gearbox Protocol’s USDC vault curated by Re7 Labs, which integrates Midas RWA assets into institutional-grade yield strategies with more than $400 million in managed DeFi volume.

Etherlink’s DeFi expansion also includes Curve, which has integrated the network to offer stablecoin, pegged asset, and cross-currency trading pairs. These join a roster of platforms such as OKU, Uranium.io, Superlend, Hanji, and Jumper Exchange.

Infrastructure and ecosystem growth

Beyond DeFi, Etherlink has rolled out several infrastructure upgrades. 

Temple Wallet 2.0 now supports Etherlink, Ethereum (ETH), Polygon (MATIC), BNB Smart Chain (BNB) and Tezos through a redesigned interface, while a new developer toolkit provides integration with Thirdweb for contract templates, Sequence for wallet onboarding, RedStone for custom data feeds, Goldsky for indexing, and Ankr for distributed RPC services.

The ecosystem has also seen growth in gaming with Pikes Arena’s PvP battle royale and Cricket Champions’ card battles, alongside institutional integrations such as Hex Trust’s custody of tokenized uranium (xU3O8). 

Nearly 100 submissions were received in the Summer of Code hackathon, while platforms such as GeckoTerminal have added support for Oku Trade to improve DeFi visibility. Etherlink has also broadened its social media presence across Bluesky and Farcaster.

Featured image via Shutterstock.