0:00
0:00
Subscribe to Bankless or sign in
Aave Chan Initiative (ACI) founder Marc Zeller just announced that his eight-person team will not seek renewal of its Aave DAO contract and will wind down operations over the next four months.
The statement comes following a successful temperature check vote on Aave Lab's controversial "Aave Will Win" framework, which passed this weekend with a narrow 52% margin of support.
What's the Scoop?
- Leaving Aave: The Aave Chan Initiative – a long-standing governance group within Aave DAO – announced its shutdown to the Aave governance forum today in response to a dispute over transparency and voting power tied to Aave Labs's record funding request from its "Aave Will Win" proposal.
- Second Departure: ACI's formal shutdown comes just eleven days after core Aave code contribution group BDG Labs announced it will cease all contributions beginning April 1 over similar centralization grievances.
- Stani Responds: In a response posted to X, Aave Labs CEO Stani Kulechov thanked ACI for shaping incentive programs, contributing to the protocol's growth, and playing a role in the DAO’s evolution.
- No Protocol Impact: Despite calamity within Aave governance processes, the core protocol itself remains functional; operations and incentive programs are expected to continue uninterrupted.
Who is John Galt?https://t.co/QvboqyyIkm pic.twitter.com/EPfgJQ3C9U
— Marc ”七十 Billy” Zeller (@Marczeller) March 3, 2026
