Unchained The Chopping Block: Aave Civil War + Flow Hack + Coinbase Super-App - Ep. 993
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Jan 1, 2026 A civil war brews within the Aave DAO as swap fees spark outrage over claims of 'stealth privatization.' The hosts dissect a contentious proposal aiming to seize Aave's intellectual property, highlighting governance tensions. They then explore a $3.9M exploit on the Flow chain, raising alarms about the dangers of rollbacks and bridges acting as custodians. Finally, the discussion pivots to Coinbase's ambitions for a super-app, debating whether its strategy will outpace Robinhood in the evolving financial landscape.
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Front-End Revenue Created A DAO vs DevCo Rift
- Aave's split between the DAO and Aave Labs created a zero-sum governance conflict when front-end revenue appeared to bypass the DAO.
- Lack of a foundation and unclear off-chain IP ownership magnified expectations and sparked the “stealth privatization” debate.
The Front Door Is Perceived As Protocol Ownership
- Ownership of domains and brand (Aave.com) matters because users equate the front door with protocol ownership.
- Transparent disclosures about who owns IP and revenue streams would reduce surprises and allow proper pricing of token risk.
Standardize IP And Revenue Disclosures
- Improve standardized disclosures describing which entity owns IP, domains, and revenue rights.
- Make these disclosures easy to find so token buyers can price governance and property risk correctly.