Aave Chan Initiative (ACI) Announces Shutdown Following Governance Rift
The eight-person ACI team will not seek renewal of its contract and will wind down operations over the next four months.
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
Jack Inabinet
Jack Inabinet is a Senior Analyst with a passion for exploring the bleeding edge of crypto and finance. Prior to joining Bankless, Jack worked as an analyst at HAL Real Estate where he conducted market research and financial analysis for commercial real estate development and acquisition activities in the Seattle region. He graduated from the University of Washington’s Michael G. Foster School of Business.
