Aave’s ‘Aave Will Win’ framework has passed the Temp Check vote, completing the first formal phase of the protocol’s governance process.
On Sunday, the off-chain Snapshot vote concluded with 52.58% voting in favor, 42% against and 5.42% abstaining. The outcome moves the measure to the Aave Request for Final Comment (ARFC) stage, where the terms can be revised before a binding intra-chain vote takes place.
The framework asks token holders for up to $42.5 million in stablecoins and 75,000 Aave ($AAVE) tokens for Aave Labs. In return, the organization would send 100% of revenue from Aave-branded products to Aave DAO’s coffers under a DAO-funded business model.
The narrow margin highlights a divided governance base as the protocol takes into account structural changes in financing, revenue reconciliation and long-term development.
Aave DAO’s Temp Check voting results. Source: Snapshot
The ARFC phase will determine whether the concerns expressed during the debate will translate into revisions before a formal Aave improvement proposal is submitted to the chain.
The split vote reflects the ongoing tensions at the administrative level
Aave founder Stani Kulechov said in a post on
Source: Stani Kulekhov
Critics previously questioned the size of the funding package and the inclusion of 75,000 $AAVE tokens, which carry voting rights.
Others called for clearer definitions and stricter disclosure standards around governance holdings.
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On February 25, competing reports from Aave Chan Initiative (ACI) founder Marc Zeller and Aave Labs offered contrasting interpretations of past funding and value creation ahead of the vote.
The ACI published a transparency report assessing Aave Labs’ historical funding, while Aave Labs outlined its role in building the protocol since 2017.
What happens next in the Aave governance process?
Under Aave’s governance framework, proposals typically move from Temp Check to ARFC before progressing to an Aave Improvement Proposal (AIP) vote down the chain. Only AIPs executed on-chain are binding.
If the proposal goes beyond ARFC, token holders will vote on whether to formalize the DAO-funded model and ratify Aave V4 as the long-term technical foundation.
The outcome could reshape how the Aave ecosystem structures development, revenue and brand management.
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