Overview
- BGD Labs will end its engagement with Aave on April 1 after nearly four years, finishing work on v3, Umbrella, chain expansions, asset onboarding, and security before departure.
- To support continuity, the team plans to publish maintenance documentation and has proposed a $200,000 security retainer for April–June 2026, pending a DAO vote, to remain on call for incidents affecting v3 and governance.
- BGD Labs attributes its exit to a growing central role for Aave Labs, saying contributors were asked to advise on v4 without incentives or design involvement.
- Aave Labs has proposed routing all protocol revenue to the DAO treasury, securing development funding, prioritizing v4, placing IP under a new foundation, and gradually winding down v3 after v4 launches.
- Aave founder Stani Kulechov said Aave Labs can maintain v3 and signaled support for approving BGD Labs’ proposed retainer as governance discussions proceed.