Chaos swept through the decentralized finance sector as Aave’s market position crumbled under intense pressure. The protocol’s native token nosedived nearly 20%, trading around $89.5, while terrified users rushed to exit. This massive capital flight resulted in a staggering $8 billion vanishing from the platform’s total value locked in just 24 hours. The sudden exodus was triggered by the fallout from the $293 million exploit at Kelp DAO, which rattled investor confidence across the ecosystem. As fears of systemic contagion spread, the lending giant faced a severe stress test, highlighting the fragile interconnectivity of modern crypto finance.