Aave's Strategic Crossroads: Where Should the Protocol Go Next?

The management of aave.com has become the epicenter of a deep debate within the Aave community, revealing a fundamental divergence on how the protocol should evolve in the coming years. What initially seemed like an administrative decision has exposed irreconcilable differences among key stakeholders regarding the technical and commercial direction of the ecosystem.

The core of the conflict: v3 versus v4

Aave v3 has solidified its position as the most important lending protocol on the chain, generating consistent revenue streams and remaining the backbone of the ecosystem. Monetsupply.eth, chief strategist at Spark, emphasizes that the current version continues to be vital for the protocol’s operations. In contrast, the development of Aave v4 has involved external collaborations outside the original ecosystem, without these initiatives generating significant returns.

Two irreconcilable visions

The community is divided between two possible scenarios. On one hand, Aave Labs proposes a complete transition to v4, betting on a radical architectural change. On the other hand, ACI and BGD advocate for a prolonged coexistence model where v3 and v4 would operate simultaneously, allowing each version to address different market needs.

This strategic divergence is not merely technical: the control of aave.com will determine which vision prevails, as whoever manages the main domain will direct user traffic and ultimately define the protocol’s roadmap for the upcoming market cycles.