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Stani Kulechov

Founder & CEO, Aave

Search every verified Stani Kulechov interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Stani Kulechov, founder and CEO of Aave Labs, has been discussing the upcoming Aave V4 upgrade, which he described as moving from a single monolithic protocol to a hub-and-spoke model that functions similarly to a central bank. He said the architecture was designed to be modular, with lending markets acting as "spokes" while liquidity is stored in a central hub, allowing the protocol to be extended to future use cases without requiring a new version. Kulechov also highlighted Aave's integration with the creator platform WAP Treasury as an example of DeFi being adopted by mainstream fintech, calling it "the first biggest fintech integration of DeFi at that scale." Kulechov has projected that tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) will reach $100 billion by the end of 2026, describing this as "sustainable" growth from current levels. He identified AI and moving businesses onchain as two key technologies for the future of finance, arguing that onchain systems offer better pricing, less friction, and more financial wellness. Kulechov also spoke about the difficulty of building and maintaining a major DeFi protocol, saying the responsibility is "horrible" and that protocol development is "one of the most difficult things to do." He emphasized the importance of focusing on building rather than chasing narratives or "the meta," and said he wants Aave to eventually finance credit opportunities for consumers, businesses, and infrastructure globally.

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