Aave Governance Conflict Widens Over $10 Million Revenue Dispute

Core Viewpoint - A dispute has arisen between the Aave community and Aave Labs regarding revenue sharing following the integration of CoW Swap, which has led to significant financial implications for the Aave DAO treasury [1][2]. Group 1: Revenue Impact - The integration of CoW Swap has resulted in the loss of a revenue stream estimated at approximately $200,000 per week, translating to an annualized impact of around $10 million [2]. - This change is perceived as shifting value away from AAVE token holders, raising concerns among governance delegates [2]. Group 2: Governance and Decision-Making - Marc Zeller, founder of the Aave Chan Initiative, criticized Aave Labs for making unilateral changes to the economic arrangement without DAO approval, which he views as a breach of fiduciary duty [3]. - Zeller expressed concerns about the implications of this decision on future upgrades, particularly the upcoming V4 upgrade, questioning whether other features could be similarly restricted from DAO oversight [4]. Group 3: Defense from Aave Labs - Stani Kulechov, CEO of Aave Labs, defended the integration, arguing that the previous fees from ParaSwap were not mandatory protocol fees but rather a "discretionary surplus" [5].