Aave founder Stani Kulechov has published a bold “master plan” for 2026 — days after the US Securities and Exchange Commission closed a four‑year probe into the protocol. In a post on X, Kulechov framed 2025 as Aave’s most successful year yet, but said the project is still at “day zero” compared with what’s coming next. The roadmap centers on rapid scaling and concrete usage targets, chief among them reaching $1 billion in real‑world asset (RWA) deposits. Kulechov summarized the strategy as three core pillars: Aave V4, Horizon, and the Aave App. - Aave V4: A major protocol upgrade that Kulechov calls the “backbone of all finance.” V4 introduces a Hub‑and‑Spoke architecture — a unified cross‑chain liquidity hub that feeds highly customizable spoke markets — along with improvements to borrowing and lending pools, UI, and liquidation parameters. The design aims to unlock deep, cross‑chain liquidity and, Kulechov says, position Aave to handle “trillions of dollars in assets,” making it attractive to institutions, fintechs and corporates. - Horizon (RWA market): Aave’s decentralized real‑world asset marketplace currently sits at about $550 million in net deposits. Kulechov wants to scale Horizon to $1 billion and beyond in 2026 by onboarding “many top financial institutions” and expanding partnerships with firms such as Circle, Ripple, Franklin Templeton and VanEck to bring major global asset classes onto the protocol. - Aave App (mobile): Launched to the Apple Store in mid‑November, the mobile app is positioned as a “trojan horse” to bring DeFi into mainstream finance. With the mobile fintech market exceeding $2 trillion, Aave plans a full rollout early next year aimed at reaching its “first million users,” simplifying on‑ramps and consumer savings products to drive product‑level adoption that, in turn, fuels protocol growth. Alongside the roadmap, Kulechov shared an Aug. 12, 2025 letter confirming the SEC has ended its four‑year investigation into Aave, calling the development a reset that allows developers to “truly build the future of finance.” He also disclosed a personal purchase of $9.8 million in AAVE tokens, made outside of the Aave DAO’s proposed buyback program. Kulechov’s plan signals a shift from protocol maturation to institutional scale and retail expansion — an ambitious push that will test whether Aave can convert product adoption and RWA momentum into the kind of liquidity and custody relationships institutions demand. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

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