The Aave community has voted in favor of the 'Aave Will Win' proposal, a landmark decision that redirects all revenue from Aave-branded products back to the DAO, effectively consolidating economic rights under the AAVE token. This move marks the end of a months-long governance dispute that began when swap fees were quietly redirected away from the DAO treasury.
The proposal, deemed the most important in Aave's history, approves a framework that redirects 100% of revenue from all Aave-branded products back to the DAO, making the DAO responsible for funding Aave Labs' activities. A $25 million stablecoin grant and 5,000 AAVE token allocation have been approved for Aave Labs. The Aave DAO, a community-run decision-making body, has resolved a dispute over protocol revenue control, with the 'Aave Will Win' proposal decisively favoring token holders. The proposal aims to make Aave fully token-centric, with one asset and one model: $AAVE.
The vote resolves a controversy that exposed a deeper tension over whether Aave Labs or the DAO controlled the protocol's most valuable asset: its user-facing products and the revenue they generate. With protocol revenue expected to match $140 million in 2026, the application layer is set to generate significant additional revenue.
Aave App will target mainstream users with a 'fintech-like experience', while service providers must build exclusively for Aave, with zero tolerance for 'value leakage'. The proposal also outlines technical improvements, including Aave V4's reinvestment feature and the expansion of collateral options.
With roughly $25 billion in total value locked, Aave aims to scale from $40 billion to $1 trillion, positioning itself as a financial network that any fintech, bank, or asset manager can plug into.