Aave priceAAVE

Revenue Dispute: Delegates claim CowSwap integration redirected swap fees away from the Aave DAO. Governance Backlash: Tokenholders warn alleged revenue losses could exceed $10 million annually. Labs Defense: Aave Labs cites long-term innovation and DAO value creation to counter criticism. Tension has risen inside the Aave community over control of protocol revenue. Delegates and service providers now clash over ownership rights. A recent integration changed how swap fees flow. That shift triggered sharp reactions from tokenholders. Many now question whether DAO interests remain protected. Accusations of lost revenue dominate governance discussions. Estimates suggest losses could reach eight figures annually. For years, Aave's swap feature funneled revenue to the DAO through Paraswap's referral program. No extra user costs, just passive income for tokenholders.December 2025: Aave Labs announces a CoWSwap partnership for "an improved swap experience."But where's the money going now?…— fredcat (@fredcat5150) December 11, 2025 Who Controls Aave’s Revenue Streams Aave DAO historically paid contractors directly for development work. That funding covered interfaces, branding, and product features. Governance participants argue this payment structure grants full ownership to the DAO. Fees generated through those features should flow back to the treasury. This understanding remained widely accepted for years. The CowSwap integration altered that arrangement. Swap fees no longer reach the DAO treasury. Delegates quickly noticed the change and raised objections. Previous integrations, including ParaSwap, shared revenue with the DAO. The new setup redirected fees elsewhere. Delegates described the outcome as sidelining tokenholders. One delegate estimated annual revenue losses exceeding $10 million. That figure sparked heated debate across governance forums. Earlier this year, Aave Labs proposed a tokenization product called Horizon. The proposal included a separate token. The DAO rejected the plan after intense debate. That decision added context to current tensions. Some delegates view recent revenue changes as part of a broader pattern. Marc Zeller, founder of the Aave-Chan Initiative, voiced strong concerns. Zeller described the revenue shift as privatization. Aave Labs Responds to Growing Criticism Aave Labs pushed back against accusations. Founder Stani Kulechov emphasized long-term contributions. According to Kulechov, Aave Labs has built core protocol innovations for over eight years. Those efforts include Aave V4 development and the GHO stablecoin. Revenue from these primitives continues flowing to the DAO. The DAO also manages a token buyback program. That mechanism aims to return value to tokenholders. Supporters argue this proves alignment between Labs and the DAO. They stress that innovation requires flexibility and resources. From this view, service providers deserve room to operate. On-chain data adds another layer. Blockworks Research reported over $15 billion in net deposit inflows during Q3 2025. Network usage remains strong despite governance friction. Market reaction also stayed muted. AAVE traded near $200 for the past week. The debate now centers on trust and structure. Delegates seek clarity on revenue rights. Service providers seek autonomy for continued innovation. Both sides claim alignment with long-term protocol health. Governance discussions will likely intensify. Aave stands at a crossroads. Decisions made now could shape future DAO dynamics. Clear frameworks may help prevent similar disputes. Without resolution, tensions could deepen. Tags: Aave (AAVE) Altcoin Crypto market

What has happened this week in the world of blockchain and cryptocurrencies? The most relevant local and international events, as well as interesting background reports, are summarized concisely in this weekly review. Selected articles of the week: The Bitcoin mining industry is undergoing a radical strategic shift toward AI data centers, driven by a 35 percent collapse in hash price from 55 to 35 USD per petahash since September. Canadian miner Bitfarms announced a complete exit from Bitcoin mining by 2027 and secured GPU supply contracts worth 128 million USD. AI infrastructure generates up to 25 times higher revenue per kilowatt-hour than Bitcoin mining: Blockchain company HIVE estimates that 10 megawatts of Nvidia H100 GPUs produce the same returns as 100 megawatts of mining capacity. Core Scientific signed contracts with cloud provider CoreWeave totaling over 6.7 billion USD, while Riot Platforms reserved two-thirds of its 112 megawatt new capacity in Texas for AI applications. The transformation occurs out of strategic necessity, as profitable mining at current network difficulty levels requires Bitcoin prices above 90,000 USD. Bitcoin miners shift to AI infrastructure: the industry’s major transformation The Bitcoin mining industry is facing a fundamental transformation, as many of the leading companies are pivoting toward AI infrastructure. Read More Coinbase launches stock trading and prediction markets US crypto exchange Coinbase is expanding its offering to include commission-free stock trading and regulated prediction markets in partnership with Kalshi. CEO Brian Armstrong presented the vision of an “Everything Exchange” where users can trade all asset classes. The prediction markets function as CFTC-regulated derivatives with binary options between 0.01 and 0.99 USD, where correct predictions pay out one dollar and price formation reflects collective probability assessments. Analysts forecast growth of the total market to one trillion USD annual volume by decade’s end. Competitor Robinhood already generates over 100 million USD in annualized revenue from prediction markets with more than one million active users. The expansion positions Coinbase in direct competition with established fintech providers and signals the increasing convergence between crypto exchanges and traditional financial service providers. Crypto exchange Coinbase expands into stock trading and prediction markets The US crypto exchange Coinbase is integrating prediction markets through a partnership with Kalshi and enabling commission-free stock trading. Read More Trading firm Jump Trading faces 4 billion USD damages claim The bankruptcy administrator of Terraform Labs is demanding 4 billion USD in damages from Jump Trading for alleged market manipulation and insider trading related to the Terra collapse. The lawsuit accuses the trading firm of concealing a secret agreement with Do Kwon involving heavily discounted LUNA tokens: Jump received approximately 61.4 million tokens at a price of 0.40 USD in July 2021 when the market price was around 90 USD—a 99 percent discount. The company realized profits of 1.28 billion USD from these positions. During a UST crisis in May 2021, Jump intervened with token purchases worth 20 million USD, but falsely presented this as algorithmic stabilization. The final Terra collapse in May 2022 destroyed over 40 billion USD in value, with UST crashing from one dollar to 0.02 USD. Jump Trading described the lawsuit as a “desperate attempt” to shift responsibility away from Terraform Labs. Jump Trading Faces USD 4 Billion Lawsuit Over Terra Collapse The bankruptcy trustee of Terraform Labs has filed a USD 4 billion lawsuit against the trading firm Jump Trading. Read More SEC ends Aave investigation after four years without sanctions The US Securities and Exchange Commission closed its four-year investigation into DeFi protocol Aave without recommending enforcement actions. The agency had been investigating since 2021 whether the AAVE governance token should be classified as an unregistered security. Aave manages over 40 billion USD in total value locked and controls approximately 60 percent of the DeFi lending market share across 14 blockchains. Founder Stani Kulechov described the process as resource-intensive but expressed relief at its conclusion. The decision creates an important precedent for protocols with comparable governance structures, though the SEC emphasized that non-enforcement does not constitute exoneration. The closure follows a series of recent case dismissals against Uniswap Labs and Consensys, reflecting the strategic shift under SEC Chair Paul Atkins toward structured regulation rather than aggressive enforcement. SEC closes four-year investigation into Aave without enforcement action The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has dropped its investigation into leading DeFi protocol Aave after four years. Read More PayPal applies for banking license for direct lending business In addition: Fintech giant PayPal is pursuing a Utah charter as an Industrial Loan Company (ILC) and filed applications with the FDIC and Utah financial authorities. The license would enable the company to internalize lending operations currently handled through partner banks, as well as offer FDIC-insured interest-bearing savings accounts. Since 2013, PayPal has issued over 30 billion USD in 1.4 million loans to 420,000 business accounts with exceptional Net Promoter Scores between 76 and 85 points. The ILC structure allows non-banks to provide banking services without full subjection to the Bank Holding Company Act. During the Trump administration, over 18 fintech companies applied for banking licenses, including crypto firms like Circle, Ripple, BitGo, and Paxos, which received conditional preliminary approvals for national trust banks from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. PayPal applies for banking license: Fintech giant aims to expand lending business PayPal has applied to the FDIC and the Utah Department of Financial Institutions to establish a Utah-chartered industrial bank. Read More Would you like to receive our weekly review conveniently in your inbox on Saturdays? Subscribe CVJ.CH Newsletter Email address:

Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only. We’re back for season 2 of the сrypto.news Best Crypto Projects! Our annual awards recognize and reward outstanding projects, both new and established, in the crypto and web3 space.The Crypto.news choice winners were selected by our editors and subject-matter experts after multiple rounds of evaluation and review. Best New Memecoin Project Memecoins are like mushrooms after rain, there’s a new one cropping up every few minutes. But some are undoubtedly better than others. Here are our top picks for Best New Memecoin Projects of 2025, the frontrunners in today’s crypto ecosystem, taking the market by storm and rallying communities by the thousands. PENGU Official Trump Memecore Fartcoin Pippin Winner: This year’s Crypto.news Best New Memecoin Project goes to PENGU for bringing the charm of their Penguin NFTs to the real world with plushies and viral TikTok marketing, and then achieving phenomenal success with the PENGU memecoins. Go Penguins! Best Layer-1 Blockchain Network Our Best Layer-1 Blockchain award aims to bring attention to innovative Layer-1 protocols building the foundations of a more scalable and efficient blockchain ecosystem. Here are some of the leading blockchains demonstrating strong technology, growing adoption, and clear long-term potential. Apertum BNB Chain Polkadot Sui Moonbeam Winner: All the names on our nominees list are impressive in their own right; however, none stand out quite like Apertum. Apertum supports ultra-fast transactions with 0.15–1.50 seconds time-to-finality and processes over 4,500 TPS, outperforming Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Tron, and others. Its deflationary token model burns up to 50% of transaction fees, supporting token scarcity, holder incentives, and long-term sustainable growth. The network is fully EVM-compatible, allowing developers to deploy smart contracts seamlessly without additional coding, while maintaining high scalability. Apertum emphasizes community-driven innovation, secure high-yield infrastructure, and rapid on-chain expansion. With no VC or institutional backing, the project focuses entirely on organic growth. Best DeFi Platform DeFi has changed how the world sees crypto, showcasing the many capabilities of blockchain to the global financial system. Even long-time crypto skeptics like the JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon have caved, saying, “I don’t care about Bitcoin but DeFi is real.” Here are our top picks for the best DeFi platforms that stand out for their security, intuitive design, and innovative approach. Uniswap Aave MakerDAO CurveFinance Lido Finance Winner: After several rounds of evaluation, we decided to pick Curve Finance as our Best DeFi Platform of the Year for its advancements. The platform reached several notable milestones this year, including the founder putting forward a proposal for a 17.45 million CRV token grant, alongside the protocol exploring expansion efforts and potential AI-driven enhancements. Best Crypto Exchange Choosing a crypto exchange is harder than ever, with a multitude of options available today. We make it easier with our nominees. Here are the top exchanges leading the market in security and asset protection, availability and accessibility, fees and trading costs, supported cryptocurrencies, trading products, and standout features and tools. BYDFi Binance Bybit KuCoin ChangeNow Winner: This was a close contest, but we’ve chosen Bybit as our Exchange of the Year for its strong emphasis on regulatory compliance, continued expansion of institutional services through real-world asset (RWA) integration, and its efforts to deepen web3 functionality for a rapidly growing user base. Best Project with Utility Tokens Gone are the days when projects could rely on a cute mascot alone. Today’s crypto community demands real utility, even from memecoins. These are our nominees for the best projects with utility tokens that add real value and give users access to meaningful services in the ecosystem. Remittix Chainlink Aptos Polygon Winner: While all the projects on this list are notable in their own right, Chainlink stands out as our Best Project with Utility Tokens this year. In 2025, Chainlink won the SWIFT Hackathon Business Challenge, and its Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) was selected by Coinbase as the exclusive bridging solution for all of its wrapped assets: just a few of Chainlink’s many accomplishments this year. Best Leader in Web3 A leader is someone who marches ahead despite adversities and inspires others to follow, and in crypto this means building trust, driving innovation, and navigating uncertainty with conviction. Here are our top picks for the best leaders in the crypto and web3 space, recognized not for their net worth (or how many times they’ve been to space), but for their leadership spirit, their vision, and their impact on the industry. Changpeng Zhao Balaji Srinivasan Brian Armstrong Anatoly Yakovenko Aya Miyaguchi Lily Liu Winner: While our editors debated at length over who our Web3 Leader of 2025 should be, we ultimately chose Changpeng Zhao as our Best Web3 Leader for demonstrating an indomitable spirit in the face of adversity. Best AI Crypto Project AI is everywhere, from customer support to content creation. And in crypto, AI plays an even bigger role by merging automation with decentralized systems. Here are our nominees for the most interesting, innovative, and exciting AI crypto projects today. Fetch.ai Bittensor Render SingularityNET Ocean Protocol Winner: Our editors have picked Bittensor as the Best AI Crypto Project of 2025. The network managed to implement a major protocol change, among other milestones this year. Disclosure: This content is provided by a third party. Neither crypto.news nor the author of this article endorses any product mentioned on this page. Users should conduct their own research before taking any action related to the company.

Macro & Risk Sentiment Geopolitical tensions and AI-sector uncertainty pressured risk assets today. New U.S. cruise-ship restrictions on Venezuela, the possibility of fresh sanctions on Russia, and funding concerns around Oracle’s mega AI data center weighed on sentiment. U.S. equities slid, with the S&P 500 extending its losing streak to four days, while gold and oil attracted safe-haven flows. Bitcoin & Market Action BTC volatility spiked as price briefly moved toward $90K following a strong U.S. equity open, before reversing amid risk-off flows to test the $85K zone. Altcoins pulled back on thin liquidity. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index edged up to 17, but remains firmly in Extreme Fear territory. Key Narratives & Tokens XAUT followed gold higher as spot gold approached $4,350, near record highs CC surged ~8.5% after DTCC announced a pilot of U.S. Treasuries on the Canton Network, boosting H / FHE / NIGHT JTO re-enters the U.S. market on improved regulatory clarity Aave released its 2026 roadmap, highlighting V4, RWAs, and the new Aave App dYdX x BONK partnered to launch a new perps on-ramp for the Solana community Policy & Regulation Watch The Fed officially removed its 2023 restrictions on banks engaging with Bitcoin The UK plans to classify crypto as regulated financial products starting 2027 The SEC requested feedback on exchange-traded crypto products and issued fresh guidance on broker-dealer custody rules Industry Developments & Week Ahead Bitget signed an exclusive 2026–2028 crypto & payments partnership with Tomorrowland Winter and Tomorrowland Belgium Moon Pursuit Capital launched a $100M crypto fund Hong Kong SFC reported Q3 spot VA ETF market cap at ~$920M (+217%) Focus this week: DTCC’s Canton pilot, Vitalik’s push for simpler protocols, Circle x LianLian cross-border payments, plus upcoming CPI data and global rate decisions $BTC $RWA $FHE