In a recent community vote regarding Aave's brand assets, over 55% of participants opposed the proposal, which sought to transfer control to the Aave decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). Stani Kulechov, CEO of Aave Labs, faced accusations that he purchased $15 million worth of Aave (AAVE) tokens to sway the vote in favor of his firm.
Kulechov firmly denied these claims, stating that the tokens were not intended for voting on the proposal and asserting his commitment to the Aave project. He acknowledged the need for clearer communication regarding the relationship between Aave Labs and token holders, promising to improve transparency in the future.
The controversy was sparked by concerns from the community about funds generated from a partnership with the decentralized exchange aggregator CoW Swap. One Aave DAO member raised issues about fees being redirected to a wallet controlled by Aave Labs without prior consultation, leading to significant backlash and a failed governance vote.