DeFi News: Aave‘s Latest DAO Operating Model Wins 52% Early Approval

Key Insights:

• Recent DeFi news suggests Aave’s proposal passed Temp Check 52.6%, now moving to Aave Request for Final Comment (ARFC).
• It seeks $42.5M stablecoins plus 75,000 AAVE for Aave Labs. Aave Labs would send all Aave-brand revenue to the DAO treasury.
• Tight vote shows deep splits over size, voting power, and transparency.

As per the latest DeFi news, Aave tokenholders have given an early green light to a major shake-up in how the protocol funds development and collects revenue. Over the weekend, the “Aave Will Win” framework cleared the Temp Check stage. It is the first formal step in Aave’s governance process.

The off-chain Snapshot vote closed on Sunday with a slim majority backing the plan. About 52.58% voted in favor, 42% voted against, and 5.42% abstained. That tight finish showed the community is far from united as Aave weighs a new operating model.

The result moves the proposal forward to the Aave Request for Final Comment (ARFC). This is the phase where contributors can tighten language, adjust terms, and address objections before anything goes to a binding on-chain vote.

DeFi News: Aave Will Move Ahead with Its Planned DAO-funded Revenue Model

Under the new DAO plan, tokenholders would sign off on up to $42.5 million in stablecoins, plus 75,000 AAVE tokens. In return, Aave Labs would send all the money made from Aave-branded products straight back into the DAO treasury.

Meanwhile, the DAO will distribute payouts for builders and take back the product revenue. In practical terms, that would include fees tied to Aave’s consumer and business-facing products, such as aave.com and several upcoming offerings.

Split Vote Reflects Ongoing Governance Tensions

The narrow margin didn’t happen by accident. Recent DeFi news suggests the debate around the package has been building for weeks. The Temp Check simply put numbers to that tension.

Aave founder Stani Kulechov said the vote moved the protocol closer to a more token-centered structure. He also signaled that the ARFC stage would absorb community feedback and fold in structural improvements before the next step.

Still, critics have focused on two main issues as per recent DeFi news. A section of the members questioned the size of the funding proposal at a time when DAOs are facing significant pressure to justify their spending and provide proof of returns.

Moreover, others pointed to the 75,000 AAVE allocation as a sensitive addition because AAVE carries governance power. To them, it is not just compensation. It is an influence.

Alongside that, some community members asked for tighter definitions and stronger disclosure standards. That’s especially around governance holdings and who controls voting weight in practice.

The debate also picked up steam on Feb. 25, when two prominent groups published competing narratives about past funding and value creation. As per a previous DeFi news report, Marc Zeller, the founder of the Aave Chan Initiative, released a transparency report reviewing Aave Labs’ historical funding.

What happens next in Aave’s governance process?

ARFC now becomes the real battleground. This is where tokenholders will push for edits, guardrails, and clearer accountability. If the proposal survives that stage, it can move to an on-chain Aave Improvement Proposal vote. Only that final on-chain step is binding.

If it reaches the final vote, tokenholders will decide whether to lock in the new DAO-funded setup. They will also vote on making Aave V4 the long-term tech backbone of the protocol.

On top of that, the plan suggests establishing a foundation to oversee the Aave brand. That could shape how the project protects its name and logo, runs Aave-branded products, and maintains consistency over time.

Proposal Repeats Key Terms from Similar Push Last Month

That earlier plan was worth about $50 million in total. The biggest chunk was up to $42.5 million in stablecoins. Of that, $25 million was the main grant, while another $17.5 million was set aside and only paid out if Aave Labs hit certain product milestones.

It also came with the same 75,000 AAVE tokens, valued at roughly $8 million at the time. And it wasn’t a lump-sum payout. The stablecoins would be released gradually, and the milestone money would only be unlocked once products actually launch.

So the DeFi news suggests that the vote didn’t end the argument. It simply advanced it. Now the ARFC stage will decide whether Aave can turn a divided Temp Check into a cleaner, more broadly accepted deal that reshapes how the protocol pays builders, captures revenue, and protects the brand.