Aave founder Stani Kulechov sets a 12-month "revenue-led" protocol strategy

On May 23, 2026, Aave founder Stani Kulechov said the lending protocol will pursue a "revenue-led protocol strategy" over the next 12 months, aiming to push DeFi beyond token speculation. Aave currently leads lending metrics with more than $14 billion in TVL and $7.96 million in fees over the past seven days, while Aave V4 has surpassed $100 million in combined deposits and loans.