The Monad Pulse #009

Monad Ecosystem Updates, Dec 18 - 25

The Monad Network ecosystem continues its explosive growth with $100M in total deposits reached within two weeks, major gaming integrations, and successful DeFi protocol launches. From MapleStory Universe joining the network to LeverUp’s record-breaking launchpad success, here’s everything that happened in the Monad ecosystem this past week.

Morpho Surpasses $100M in Total Deposits on Monad

Monad chads showed up in force as Morpho surpassed $100M in total deposits on the network within just two weeks of launch. This milestone represents significant confidence in Monad’s DeFi infrastructure. Users can now earn and borrow on Monad through Morpho’s permissionless lending platform. Start earning.

As of December 18, Morpho leads all protocols on Monad with $90.3M in TVL, showcasing the network’s growing strength as a DeFi destination. This achievement demonstrates Monad’s ability to attract serious capital and positions the network as a competitive layer in the multi-chain DeFi landscape.

MapleStory Universe Welcomes Monad Integration

New beginnings and new friends. Monad is welcoming MapleStory Universe to the network, starting with NXPC and more integrations to come. This partnership brings one of the most recognizable gaming franchises to Monad’s high-performance infrastructure, opening new possibilities for onchain gaming experiences that leverage Monad’s 10,000 TPS capabilities.

USD1 Stablecoin Integration Enhances DeFi Liquidity

World Liberty Financial announced that USD1 is now live on Monad on December 19, 2025. USD1 is a fiat-collateralized stablecoin redeemable 1:1 for U.S. dollars, built for speed and control on Monad’s fast and scalable financial layer. The integration enables stable transactions, yield farming, and cross-border payments while addressing volatility concerns.

This development significantly expands DeFi liquidity on Monad by providing a trusted medium of exchange and store of value. Users can now leverage USD1 across Monad’s growing ecosystem of DeFi protocols, creating deeper liquidity pools for decentralized exchanges and enabling more sophisticated financial strategies.

Monad Momentum Grant Applications Open for Builders

Applications to Monad Momentum are now officially open. Monad builders can apply for grants to support their user acquisition campaigns, experiment with growth strategies, and build sustainable business models. This program provides direct funding and resources to help projects scale their user bases within the Monad ecosystem. Apply now.

LeverUp Launches with Record-Breaking Oversubscription

Congratulations to LeverUp on their successful launch! The PancakeSwap launchpad was 678x oversubscribed, with $61M committed by eager participants. LeverUp is an LP-free perpetual DEX with 100% fee redistribution to traders and leverage up to 1001x, bringing institutional-grade trading capabilities to the Monad ecosystem.

This overwhelming demand demonstrates the market’s appetite for innovative DeFi protocols on Monad and validates the network’s position as a premier destination for high-performance trading applications.

Lumiterra’s Survival Season Heats Up

The Survival Season is now live and heating up in Lumiterra Game. This MMO sandbox allows players to explore and earn multiple rewards through combat, crafting, farming, and gathering. The game showcases Monad’s ability to handle complex, multiplayer gaming experiences with seamless performance. Play now.

Top Projects by TVL on Monad (as of Dec 18)

The Monad DeFi ecosystem continues to mature with impressive Total Value Locked across leading protocols:

• Morpho: $90.3M

• Upshift: $82.3M

• Curvance: $57.9M

• Uniswap: $36.0M

• Gearbox: $25.1M

• Curve Finance: $20.1M

• UltraYield by Edge: $19.7M

• Euler: $14.5M

• Mu Digital: $13.2M

• Folks Finance: $11.7M

These numbers reflect strong capital deployment across diverse DeFi sectors, from lending and borrowing to decentralized trading and yield optimization. The diversity of protocols attracting significant TVL demonstrates Monad’s appeal to a broad range of DeFi use cases.

Growing Institutional and Retail Confidence

As Monad prices stabilize following the mainnet launch, the blockchain’s integration of major infrastructure providers continues to strengthen its ecosystem. The network maintains its position as one of the fastest-growing Layer-1 blockchains, with active development across DeFi, payments, gaming, and infrastructure sectors.

With staking now available on Bybit, USD1 stablecoin integration providing enhanced liquidity, and Morpho’s rapid growth to $100M in deposits, Monad is demonstrating strong fundamentals that support long-term ecosystem growth. The network continues to deliver on its promise of 10,000 TPS with sub-second finality while maintaining full EVM compatibility, attracting both developers migrating from Ethereum and new projects built specifically for Monad’s high-performance infrastructure.

The combination of technical excellence, growing TVL, successful protocol launches, and expanding gaming integrations positions Monad for continued momentum heading into 2026.