The Aave community has voted in favor of the 'Aave Will Win' proposal, a pivotal framework that redirects 100% of revenue from Aave-branded products back to the DAO, consolidating economic rights under the AAVE token. This move marks the end of a months-long governance dispute that began when swap fees were redirected away from the DAO treasury.
The proposal, deemed 'the most important in Aave's history' by founder Stani Kulechov, approves a $25 million stablecoin grant and 5,000 AAVE token allocation to Aave Labs, making the DAO responsible for funding Aave Labs' activities. The Aave DAO, a community-run decision-making body, will now oversee the protocol's revenue and treasury use. The 'Aave Will Win' proposal resolves a controversy that exposed a deeper tension over control of the protocol's valuable assets. With this decision, protocol revenue, which reached $140 million in 2025, will be supplemented by application-layer revenue from Aave Pro, Aave App, Horizon, and Aave Kit.
The proposal also takes a hard line against 'value leakage,' ensuring service providers build exclusively for Aave and prioritizing token holders' interests. Technical advancements, including Aave V4's reinvestment feature and new 'Spokes,' will expand collateral options and create additional revenue streams.
With roughly $25 billion in total value locked, Aave aims to scale from $40 billion to $1 trillion, positioning itself as a financial network for fintech, banks, and asset managers.