A growing dispute over who should control branding and related assets has divided the community of one of DeFi’s largest protocols, reigniting questions about governance and power balance.
One of decentralized finance’s major protocols, Aave, has recently drawn attention not for price action but for deepening disagreements over governance. At the center of the debate lies the question of who should control brand rights, domains, social media accounts, and interface-generated revenues. The issue directly challenges the balance of power between the DAO and the core development team.
Tensions became more visible after a CoW Swap integration led swap fees to flow toward Aave Labs, which argues that these revenues fund ongoing interface development. Critics, however, see the situation as a symptom of a broader structural issue. With more than $33 billion in total value locked, the question of who ultimately owns and controls the brand has become a central concern for the community.
Supporters of continued Labs control emphasize the role of a centralized team in scaling Aave to its current size. Former Aave Labs engineer Nader Dabit argues that DAO-led development can become inefficient, slowing innovation when every decision requires a governance vote. On the other side, DAO advocates like Marc Zeller stress that risk management, upgrades, and sustainable revenue models are already handled by the DAO, making brand ownership a natural extension of that responsibility. Current voting data shows around 58 percent opposing the transfer of brand assets to the DAO, with the vote expected to conclude on Friday. The outcome is being closely watched as a broader test case for tokenholder rights across DeFi.
