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Despite tightening liquidity and uneven macroeconomic sentiment, the third quarter of 2025 marked a rebound in crypto trading activity across both centralized and decentralized exchanges. According to MEXC’s Q3 2025 Ecosystem & Growth Report, token listings, user participation, and ecosystem funding rose substantially, echoing a wider industry pattern of renewed retail engagement and narrative-driven trading.
As the crypto market continued its recovery through the third quarter of 2025, new insights from global exchange MEXC indicate that retail and institutional traders increasingly prioritized newly listed tokens and emerging high-growth sectors in the Q3 market rebound. According to data from the report, the number of active users trading new listings rose 16% from the previous quarter, while trading volume for these tokens surged by 97% — signaling renewed retail engagement despite the wider market volatility. MEXC listed 680 new tokens in Q3, a 17% QoQ increase.
The report also highlighted the wider pivot to prioritize investment in narrative-driven sectors, as memecoins, AI’s intersection with Web 3, Perpetual DEXs, and stablecoin protocols led token performance over the quarter. The top 10 tokens by trading volume posted an average peak gain of 2,933% representing a 158% increase from Q2 performance. Standout performers included $STBL (+12,125%), $C (+2,100%), and $AIA (+532%).
Investors flocked towards early-stage projects and emerging DeFi narratives, where liquidity and selective token exposure can amplify returns. Binance Smart Chain-based projects dominated ecosystem project returns, averaging gains of 9,054% across top performers, while Ethereum and Base ecosystems also showed strong performance.
Though the sustainability of these trends will depend on macroeconomic and regulatory factors, the MEXC report insights highlight an evolving investor landscape where retail and semi-professional traders are actively shaping token narratives and ecosystem dynamics. As Q4 begins, the crypto industry faces a delicate balance between innovation, compliance, and user confidence. Exchanges that balance accessible infrastructure with strategic token discovery appear best positioned to capture this wave of participation heading into the final quarter of the year.
Beyond trading, the MEXC Q3 report also highlighted MEXC Ventures’ $30 million strategic investment in Ethena and the platform’s social impact and CSR initiatives, which included hosting several community engagement and educational programs across Africa, Asia, and Australia, with over 1,600 participants. MEXC's Blockchain Certificate Quiz program, aimed at enhancing education and empowerment through blockchain literacy, engaged 725 participants, with 334 receiving certified credentials.
Dan Burgin
Vladislav Sopov
U.Today Editorial Team