In a decisive move, the Aave community has voted in favor of the 'Aave Will Win' proposal, marking a significant shift in the protocol's revenue control. The proposal, deemed the most important in Aave's history by founder Stani Kulechov, redirects all revenue from Aave-branded products back to the DAO, consolidating economic rights under the AAVE token. This change means the DAO will now be responsible for funding Aave Labs' activities, with a $25 million stablecoin grant and 5,000 AAVE token allocation approved. The Aave DAO, a community-run decision-making body, manages the Aave lending protocol, allowing token holders to vote on key decisions.
The 'Aave Will Win' proposal resolves a dispute that began in December when delegates discovered that swap-related fees had been quietly shifted away from the community treasury. The proposal decisively favors token holders, with protocol revenue, which reached $140 million in 2025, now supplemented by application-layer revenue from Aave Pro, Aave App, Horizon, and Aave Kit. The application layer is expected to drive growth, with Aave App targeting mainstream users and generating fees for the treasury. The proposal also takes a hard line against 'value leakage,' ensuring that service providers build exclusively for Aave and token holders.
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 is poised for significant growth, with Kulechov's target being to scale from $40 billion to $1 trillion and position Aave as a financial network for fintech, banks, and asset managers.