Aave founder details trillion-dollar strategy and faces debate at DAO.

• Aave V4 targets unified liquidity and institutional adoption.
• Horizon focuses on credit with RWA and tokenized securities.
• Aave DAO Governance Discusses Fees and Revenues

Aave founder Stani Kulechov unveiled a long-term strategic roadmap that projects the protocol's expansion to a trillion-dollar scale in on-chain assets. The plan was released as Aave DAO undergoes intense discussions regarding governance, economic alignment, and rights over revenue streams, at a crucial time for the largest DeFi lending protocol.

— Stani.eth (@StaniKulechov) December 16, 2025

Kulechov, who also serves as CEO of Avara, the parent company of Aave Labs, described the vision as consolidating Aave into the “fundamental credit layer” of the blockchain-based economy. The strategy rests on three pillars: Aave V4, Horizon, and the Aave app, with a stated focus on institutional adoption, integrated liquidity, and bringing in millions of new users.

According to data shared by the founder, Aave has already processed $3,33 trillion in deposits, originated nearly $1 trillion in loans, and generated $885 million in fees this year, holding approximately 59% of the DeFi lending market. “Aave will win,” stated Kulechov, adding that the protocol “is still in its early stages compared to what’s to come.”

At the heart of the plan is Aave V4, a redesign that proposes a hub-and-spoke liquidity model. The architecture seeks to reduce fragmentation between networks by concentrating liquidity in main hubs, while enabling specialized markets for different asset types. The proposal includes new tools for developers, aiming to accelerate integrations and support institutional volumes.

The second pillar, Horizon, was launched as a regulatory-compliant environment for trading tokenized real-world assets, such as Treasury bonds. The platform has already reached $550 million in net deposits and aims to reach $1 billion by 2026, supported by partnerships with companies in the traditional financial sector.

The Aave app was designed as a gateway for retail users into DeFi. The solution integrates Push, a tool for converting fiat currency to stablecoins without fees, covering more than 70% of global capital markets. Full launch is planned for early 2026, with the goal of attracting the first million users.

The announcement comes amid tensions at the Aave DAO, following questions about interface changes and fee redirection. In response, Kulechov stated: “I have been following many of the discussions on the DAO forum. Let me be very clear: nobody cares more about Aave than I do.” He added that

"Open debate is a characteristic of DeFi governance and not a symptom of misalignment."

The moment was also marked by the conclusion, without sanctions, of a four-year SEC investigation into Aave. For Kulechov, the outcome reinforces the sector's maturity and validates the trajectory of DeFi on a global scale.