Aave unveils '2026 masterplan' after US SEC probe ends…focus on V4, RWA, and app expansion

Decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol Aave disclosed a mid-to-long-term growth strategy targeting 2026 immediately after the end of a prolonged investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The plan aims to broaden both institutional reach and user base through protocol expansion, inflows of real-world assets (RWA), and mainstreaming the mobile app.

On the 17th (local time), Cointelegraph reported that Stani Kulechov, founder and CEO of Aave, revealed the 2026 'masterplan' via social media X. While he assessed 2025 as the most successful year in Aave's history, he said, "From the perspective of what lies ahead, it's still only the beginning."

Kulechov presented three pillars as the core of the 2026 strategy. The first is Aave V4. He said V4 will "be the backbone of all finance" and explained it will implement a bespoke lending market through a Hub and Spoke structure. The model centers a single cross-chain liquidity pool as the hub, which various specialized markets will utilize. He said, "This structure will form the basis for handling assets worth trillions of dollars."

The second pillar is the real-world asset market, Horizon. The goal is to expand net deposits, currently around $550 million, to over $1 billion by 2026. Kulechov said, "We will bring global assets onto Aave by partnering with major institutions such as Circle, Ripple, Franklin Templeton, and VanEck."

The third pillar is the mobile strategy. He described the Aave app, released on the Apple App Store in November last year, as "a Trojan horse to bring DeFi into the mainstream." Valuing the mobile fintech market at over $2 trillion, he said, "We will start full-scale app expansion from early next year to secure the first 1 million users." He emphasized, "Without product-level mass adoption, Aave cannot grow to a scale of trillions of dollars."

This blueprint came alongside the resolution of regulatory uncertainty. On the same day, Kulechov officially confirmed that the SEC has closed the roughly four-year investigation related to Aave. He said, "Now we put this behind us and enter a new era where developers can truly build the future of finance."

Kulechov also disclosed a personal investment. He said he purchased $9.8 million worth of Aave (AAVE) with personal funds, separate from Aave DAO's buyback program. This move is interpreted as a demonstration of confidence in the long-term vision following the easing of regulatory risk.