According to a recent report by Grayscale Research, Aave's native cryptocurrency may achieve a value of $175 within a year, as traditional finance models are increasingly applied to decentralized finance (DeFi) assets. The report indicates that Aave is expected to generate approximately $60 million in net income in 2026, with its current fair value estimated between $80 and $100.
On Thursday, Aave was trading at $75, and Grayscale highlighted that the protocol's revenue has surged sixfold from 2023 to 2025. It noted that Aave operates with an estimated profit margin of 50% and suggested that its lending operations, the GHO stablecoin, and various institutional offerings could drive future growth. However, the report cautioned that revenue alone does not ensure an increase in token value, as fees may be allocated to liquidity providers and operational expenses.
In a related development, CoinShares is applying similar valuation techniques to the HYPE token from Hyperliquid and Ether (ETH). Projections for HYPE place its value at $147 by 2031, while ETH is expected to reach $4,935. CoinShares employs long-term economic models that focus on protocol fees and buybacks to assess the value of these tokens.