Since ETHLend in 2017, our mission has been to bring DeFi to the masses, powered by the Aave protocol and an application layer that now provides access to a $50B+ liquidity network. Today, we’re proposing a new framework where Aave Labs becomes fully token-centric and redirects 100% of product-level revenue to the Aave DAO. This formalizes alignment between Aave Labs and the Aave DAO in service of token holders. The Aave Will Win Framework expands Aave DAO’s revenue base beyond protocol revenue established by AIP-1 to include non-protocol and offchain revenue, materially increasing the DAO’s capacity to grow its treasury. This would position the DAO to fund growth, increase buybacks, and pursue other opportunities as it sees fit. We believe Aave will serve as the backbone of global finance, a market measured in the hundreds of trillions. Building at the product layer creates new revenue for the DAO and helps scale Aave to mainstream adoption and bring DeFi to everyone. Our goal is to achieve all of this with value accruing to one place: the $AAVE token.

Some very good decisions here, notably on revenue flow to the DAO and Aave brand ownership under a new Foundation entity. This '100%' number is sexy to sell. I understand the need for funding. Either 25m or 50m is out of the scope of my knowledge as 1) running services in crypto 2) competing with other protocols is expensive. Yet why the need for the AAVE tokens? Are they going to be sold? Is there a promise those tokens will not be used to vote, thus changing the power balance in the DAO? Also, why the rush to shut down the V3 so quickly. I am asking not just as DAO member, but as a user it takes time for whales to get used to the new version. V4 offers many changes so perhaps the migration should be more gradual than the proposed period. Asking here as feedback could be faster than asking on the forum.

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1. Agree that 100% is sexy, but also its about direct and strong alignment, becoming token-centric fully 2. We compensate talent in AAVE, they work for the protocol (everyone should) 3. Not going to be sold, and can have long vesting 4. Should not be used in gov unles vested (then anyone ca do what they want with their tokens - and actually participate in governance as thats the point) 5. Migration from V3 to V4 can take time, and more time can be allocated