# Aave Chan Initiative (ACI) Announces Shutdown Following Governance Rift

*Author: Jack Inabinet*
*Published: Mar 3, 2026*
*Source: https://www.bankless.com/read/news/aave-chan-initiative-announces-shutdown-following-governance-rift*

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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](https://governance.aave.com/t/aci-is-leaving-aave/24205) 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](https://www.bankless.com/read/news/leading-aave-code-contributor-rage-quits-dao-cites-centralization-concerns) 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](https://x.com/StaniKulechov/status/2028845723408556527?s=20) 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](https://t.co/QvboqyyIkm) [pic.twitter.com/EPfgJQ3C9U](https://t.co/EPfgJQ3C9U)— Marc ”七十 Billy” Zeller (@Marczeller) [March 3, 2026](https://twitter.com/Marczeller/status/2028787784282980534?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)