Aave founder Stani Kulechov has denied accusations that he bought $15 million worth of AAVE tokens to influence a contentious governance vote, as tensions flare within the Aave community over transparency, voting power, and the relationship between Aave Labs and the Aave DAO.
Kulechov denies voting influence allegations
Stani Kulechov, founder and CEO of Aave Labs, said recent claims that he purchased AAVE tokens to tilt a failed DAO vote are unfounded. According to Kulechov, the tokens were not used in the vote and were never intended to shape its outcome.
He framed the purchase as a personal investment rather than a governance maneuver. Calling Aave his life’s work, Kulechov said he was backing his long term conviction with his own capital, while rejecting suggestions that the move undermined decentralized decision making.
Questions over alignment between Aave Labs and the DAO
Beyond the voting controversy, Kulechov acknowledged shortcomings in how Aave Labs has communicated its economic alignment with AAVE token holders. He said the link between products built by Aave Labs and value creation for the DAO has not always been clear.
Going forward, he pledged greater transparency, noting that clearer communication is needed to explain how development decisions ultimately benefit the DAO and token holders. The comments came amid growing scrutiny from community members demanding stronger accountability from core contributors.
Intellectual property dispute fuels community backlash
The dispute intensified after a proposal sought to place Aave’s brand assets under DAO control. The move followed claims by an Aave DAO member that fees from a recent integration with CoW Swap were sent to a wallet controlled by Aave Labs without prior DAO consultation.
That claim sparked a heated debate over governance norms and intellectual property rights. More than 55 percent of voters rejected the proposal, while over 41 percent abstained. Critics also argued the vote was rushed and bypassed standard procedures. Adding to the controversy, former Aave Labs CTO Ernesto Boado said the proposal was published without his consent, further deepening community frustration.