Aave’s founder, Stani Kulechov, recently unveiled an ambitious “master plan” for the platform in 2026, shortly after the US SEC concluded a four-year investigation into Aave. In his announcement on X, Kulechov expressed optimism about the previous year’s successes, stating that Aave is only at “day zero” compared to future prospects.

Kulechov highlighted three main pillars for the 2026 strategy:

1. Aave V4: A significant upgrade expected to enhance borrowing and lending pools, user interface, and liquidation protocols. This update will serve as the backbone of the DeFi ecosystem, allowing unprecedented levels of asset management across the platform.

   “In 2026, Aave will be home to new markets, new assets, and new integrations that have never existed before in DeFi. We’ll continue engaging with fintechs and work closely with the DAO and our partners on the rollout to progressively scale TVL throughout the year.” (Translation: In 2026, Aave will introduce innovative markets, assets, and integrations in DeFi. We will engage with fintechs and collaborate with the DAO to scale TVL throughout the year.)

2. Horizon: Aave’s decentralized platform for real-world assets aims to onboard leading financial institutions to become key players in this market. Kulechov shared plans to grow Horizon’s net deposits from $550 million to $1 billion.

3. Mobile App: Launched on the Apple Store, Kulechov describes it as a strategy to simplify DeFi access for mainstream users, targeting the $2 trillion mobile fintech industry.

Aave aims to fuel user growth through the app, aspiring to achieve its first million users shortly.

Lastly, the CEO expressed relief regarding the investigation’s conclusion, stating, “We are glad to put this behind us as we enter a new era where developers can truly build the future of finance.”