Aave DAO has received strong approval for a proposal to license its proven Aave V3 codebase to Kraken’s Ink Foundation. With 99.8% of votes supporting it, the DAO is set to broaden its technological presence in Kraken’s developing Layer 2 ecosystem. This move blends the strengths of DeFi with a centralized roll-out, marking a strategic step in Aave’s ambition to monetize its infrastructure and tap new institutional corridors.
On July 21, Aave token holders cast more than 8 million votes, delivering near-unanimous backing for the initiative. According to the proposal, the Ink Foundation will launch a new, centralized lending platform that uses Aave V3 smart contracts.
The vote signals broad confidence in the protocol’s licensing model, enabling the protocol to grow beyond its native chains while preserving governance autonomy within the Aave DAO.
Ink Foundation, the non-profit stewarding Kraken’s in-house Layer 2 network, aims to leverage the protocol’s infrastructure to fuel its own lending marketplace. By piggybacking on Kraken’s institutional clout and Ink’s scaling advantages, the partnership promises to bridge traditional finance pipelines with DeFi’s composability. This collaborative blueprint could serve as a template for future protocol-exchange synergies.
To align interests, the protocol’s DAO service providers will assist with Ink’s Aave V3 deployment for six months, guaranteeing seamless integration and upkeep. In exchange, the DAO will receive a revenue share of at least 5% of the reserve factor on borrowing volume from all pools. Additionally, Ink and its centralized partners agree not to forge lending alliances with competing protocols for 12 months post-launch, cementing mutual commitment.
Ink Foundation is committing more than $250 million in initial liquidity incentives, supported by various liquidity-mining programs and a 4% share of its future governance token supply. Beyond this, the protocol plans to deploy targeted incentives to amplify user engagement. These measures aim to seed a deep, liquid market from day one, setting the stage for sustained growth on the Ink network.
