Aave Grants

Aave Grants DAO (AGD) is a community-led grants program that supports projects building on the Aave DeFi protocol ecosystem, including Aave Pools and GHO stablecoin. The program serves as a gateway for innovative teams and developers contributing to the Aave ecosystem through non-dilutive funding with no equity or token requirements.

Program Status (2026): The Aave Grants DAO underwent governance renewal votes in 2021-2024. The most recent renewal vote in January 2024 ended with ABSTAIN as the majority option, creating uncertainty about the program's continuation. As of 2026, applicants should verify current program status via the official Aave governance forum and Aave Grants DAO website before applying.

Historical Program Structure:

• Rapid Grants: Under $100K with ~10-day decision timeline
• Community Grants: $100K-$500K requiring governance forum discussion
• Major Grants: Over $500K requiring full on-chain DAO vote
• Total Funding: Millions distributed since 2021 across multiple renewal periods

The program historically funded projects that increase TVL, expand Aave capabilities, provide ecosystem insights, engage users on Layer 2s, and grow GHO utility through demand stimulation and transactional velocity.

For ZHC builders, this represents potential non-dilutive funding for DeFi infrastructure, smart contract tooling, developer tools, and blockchain automation projects aligned with Aave's ecosystem—though program status should be verified before investing application effort.

Priority Funding Areas

Core Development

• Aave protocol integrations and extensions
• GHO stablecoin utility and adoption projects
• Cross-chain and Layer 2 solutions for Aave
• Lending/borrowing mechanism improvements

Infrastructure & Tooling

• Developer tools and SDKs
• Smart contract automation
• Security and auditing tools
• Analytics and monitoring dashboards

Ecosystem Growth

• DeFi protocols building on Aave
• Novel use cases for Aave Pools
• Educational resources and documentation
• Community engagement initiatives

Research & Innovation

• Economic modeling and tokenomics research
• Risk management frameworks
• Governance mechanism improvements
• Novel DeFi primitives

Selection Criteria

• Strong technical team with DeFi/smart contract expertise
• Clear value proposition for Aave ecosystem
• Feasible implementation plan with milestones
• Measurable impact on protocol metrics (TVL, users, integrations)
• Open-source commitment (preferred)
• Sustainable post-grant development plan

Typical Grant Recipients

• Early-stage DeFi startups
• Independent developers and researchers
• Academic institutions conducting blockchain research
• Community contributors and educators
• Security researchers and auditors

ZHC-Specific Fit

✓ Excellent for:

• Smart contract automation and tooling for Aave
• DeFi protocol development leveraging Aave liquidity
• Blockchain infrastructure supporting Aave integrations
• Developer tools for Aave ecosystem builders
• Open-source contributions to Aave codebase
• Analytics and data visualization for Aave metrics
• Security tools for DeFi protocols

✗ Poor fit if:

• Not building on or integrating with Aave/GHO
• Closed-source proprietary solutions only
• Pure speculation/trading tools without ecosystem utility
• Projects competing directly with Aave's core offerings
• Lack of clear technical feasibility
• No measurable benefit to Aave ecosystem

Application Process

IMPORTANT: Verify current program status at aavegrants.org before applying. The program's continuation was uncertain after the January 2024 governance vote.

Historical Application Flow:

Step	Timeline	Details
Initial research	1 week	Review RFGs (Request for Grants) and priority areas
Community engagement	1-2 weeks	Discuss idea in Discord #grants channel, gather feedback
Draft proposal	1-2 weeks	Prepare technical and funding plan with milestones
Formal submission	-	Submit via Aave Grants DAO portal
Committee review	2-6 weeks	Technical and strategic evaluation by AGD committee
Decision notification	Varies by grant size	Rapid grants: ~10 days; larger grants: longer timeline
Milestone execution	Post-approval	Payments tied to milestone completion

Grant Size Categories (Historical)

Small Grants: $5K-$50K

• Developer tools
• Educational content
• Community initiatives
• Research projects

Medium Grants: $50K-$250K

• Protocol integrations
• Infrastructure projects
• Security audits
• Major features

Large Grants: $250K+

• Strategic ecosystem initiatives
• Major protocol development
• Multi-phase research programs
• Significant infrastructure

Grant Types

1. Rapid Grants (< $100K)

• Simple application process
• Fast decision timeline (~10 days)
• Committee discretionary approval
• Rolling submissions

2. Community Grants ($100K-$500K)

• Posted on Aave governance forum
• Community discussion and feedback period
• Committee approval based on community sentiment
• More detailed proposals required

3. Major Grants (> $500K)

• Full governance forum proposal
• Extensive community discussion
• Requires on-chain DAO vote
• Highest scrutiny and requirements

Required Application Materials

Project Overview

• Clear problem statement
• Proposed solution and approach
• How it benefits Aave ecosystem
• Target metrics and success criteria

Technical Details

• Architecture and implementation plan
• Technology stack
• Security considerations
• Open-source commitment

Team & Qualifications

• Team members and backgrounds
• Relevant experience (DeFi, smart contracts, etc.)
• Previous projects and contributions
• GitHub profiles or code samples

Budget & Milestones

• Detailed budget breakdown
• Clear milestone definitions
• Timeline with deliverables
• Post-grant sustainability plan

Supporting Materials

• Demo or proof of concept (if available)
• Community support or letters of intent
• Audit reports (if applicable)
• Relevant research or documentation

Evaluation Criteria

• Impact: Potential benefit to Aave ecosystem
• Feasibility: Technical viability and team capability
• Innovation: Novelty and creative approach
• Alignment: Fit with Aave priorities and values
• Sustainability: Long-term viability beyond grant
• Community: Ecosystem support and engagement

IMPORTANT: Verify program status before applying

• Aave Grants DAO Website
• Application Portal
• Aave Governance Forum
• Community Discord (#💰grants channel)
• Twitter/X
• Program Documentation

Aave Protocol Resources:

• Official Aave Website
• Developer Documentation
• GitHub Repository
• Aave Governance

Program History:

• May 2021: Initial program launch after governance vote
• 2021-2023: Three successful renewal proposals
• September 2023: Fifth proposal presented
• January 2024: Vote ended with ABSTAIN majority, creating uncertainty
• 2024-2026: Program status unclear—verify before applying

Historical Impact:

• Funded hundreds of projects since 2021
• Supported protocol development, tooling, education, and research
• Helped grow Aave ecosystem across multiple chains
• Established reputation-based NFT programs for contributors
• Millions in total grants distributed

Alternative Aave Funding: If AGD is inactive, consider:

• Direct governance proposals for larger initiatives
• Aave ecosystem partnerships
• Aave Companies (formerly Aave Labs) collaborations
• Other DeFi grant programs with Aave integration focus