In a significant development, the Aave community has voted in favor of the 'Aave Will Win' proposal, marking the end of a prolonged governance dispute. This proposal, deemed the most crucial in Aave's history by founder Stani Kulechov, establishes a framework that redirects all revenue from Aave-branded products back to the DAO, consolidating economic rights under the AAVE token. As a result, the DAO is now responsible for funding Aave Labs' activities, with the approved proposal including a $25 million stablecoin grant and a 5,000 AAVE token allocation to Aave Labs.
The Aave DAO, a community-run decision-making body for the protocol, has effectively resolved the dispute that arose when swap fees were quietly redirected away from the community treasury. The 'Aave Will Win' proposal decisively favors token holders, ensuring that protocol revenue, which reached $140 million in 2025, is supplemented by application-layer revenue from various Aave products.
This move is expected to generate additional revenue, with swaps on Aave.com and Aave Pro already producing $10 to $20 million in extra revenue. The proposal also introduces measures to prevent 'value leakage' and promotes a fintech-like experience for mainstream users.
With Aave holding roughly $25 billion in total value locked, the community is poised for significant growth, aiming to scale from $40 billion to $1 trillion and establish itself as a comprehensive financial network.