Castle Labs: Revenue of 726 million USD from 6 major protocols in the first half of the year, but net value inflow for token holders is negative

Castle Labs released a report stating that since the beginning of the year, crypto protocols have generated approximately $7.42 billion in revenue, but most token prices have failed to reflect the fundamentals of the protocols. The report analyzes six protocols, including Aave, Hyperliquid, PumpFun, and Uniswap, finding that they collectively generated about $726 million in revenue in the first half of 2026. However, after accounting for token issuance, unlocks, and incentives, the net value inflow for token holders turned negative for some projects.

The report points out that Hyperliquid has burned over 47 million HYPE tokens, and PUMP has completed over $315 million in buybacks, yet the token is still down about 60% from its issuance price. Protocol revenue does not necessarily translate into token value, and investors should also pay attention to factors such as value return mechanisms, token unlock pressure, and equity structure.