Core Insights - Aave is entering a significant growth phase with the release of Version 4 (V4), a $50 million token buyback program, and expansion into real-world assets (RWA) [1][5] Market Position - Aave currently controls 82% of Ethereum's total outstanding lending debt, the highest level to date, and has seen steady growth over the past four years [2] - The protocol supports around 1,000 unique borrowers daily and manages approximately $25 billion in active loans, with a 30-day trading volume of about $226 billion [3] Total Value Locked (TVL) - Aave remains the largest lending protocol in DeFi with a Total Value Locked (TVL) of roughly $36.5 billion [3][4] Aave V4 Features - The upcoming V4 release introduces a Unified Liquidity Layer to optimize capital efficiency across multiple chains and reduce transaction costs [4] - Aave aims to enhance the integration of its native stablecoin, GHO, to improve internal liquidity flows and decrease external dependency [4] Strategic Initiatives - Aave is expanding its influence through Aave Horizon, a permissioned RWA market for institutional investors, and a $100 million restructuring plan to strengthen the GHO ecosystem [5] - These initiatives align with Aave's long-term goal of becoming a global liquidity bank for the Web3 era, positioning it among the top 40 US banks by asset size [5] Token Buyback Program - Aave DAO has introduced a $50 million annual buyback proposal to support the token's price and reinvest in the DAO treasury, potentially doubling the previous weekly buyback from $1 million to approximately $2 million [6] - Market sentiment is bullish, with the $135 level becoming a price magnet for AAVE following strong updates [6]