Hello Aave Community. I’m Apu Mallku (apumallku.eth). My journey with this protocol didn’t start yesterday; it began in late 2017, as an early participant in the EthLend ICO. I have been here since before Aave was even Aave.
When the foundation of DeFi was being built in early 2020, I was there for the launch of Yearn Finance, taking my first steps in yield farming and eventually serving as Partnership Lead for prominent DeFi projects—initiatives that became the original “Blue Chips” of the DeFi Summer. My professional background in partnership growth has given me a front-row seat to how protocols scale, how they fail, and how they are often captured by misaligned interests.
For years, I have been a silent observer—watching from the sidelines, analyzing the shifts in governance power, and voting with my own conviction. But the current state of Aave has reached a tipping point where silence is no longer an option. Now is the time to act. Aave doesn’t need more “Governance-as-a-Service” corporate delegates. It needs fiercely independent, veteran voices who aren’t afraid to speak the truth. We are witnessing a slow drift toward corporate capture, where institutional delegates often remain silent on critical issues like conflict of interest or Service Provider (SP) monopolies.
Encouraged by the support of independent voices and active contributors, I am formalizing my role as a Delegate. My goal is simple: I am here to ask the hard questions, protect the protocol from centralization, and return the focus to where it belongs—the utility and value of the AAVE token.
Core Values & Ethos
My governance philosophy is deeply rooted in free-market dynamics and strict decentralization. My recent track record in the forum reflects this:
Anti-Monopoly & True Decentralization: A DAO should foster competition, not monopolies. I stand against the consolidation of power by a few whale wallets or aggregate SPs. Aave must remain sufficiently decentralized, not just for ethical reasons, but to mitigate existential regulatory risks (e.g., SEC scrutiny).
Meritocracy & Accountability: Funding should be based on performance, not legacy status. I advocate for clear KPIs, Conflict of Interest (COI) frameworks, and bounty-based models to ensure every AAVE/GHO spent by the Treasury delivers undeniable value.
IP Sovereignty & Open Innovation: Aave must be an ecosystem that empowers third-party builders, not one that leaves them behind due to legal or branding bottlenecks created by centralized off-chain entities.
Independent Over Institutional: I do not run a governance factory, and I am not looking to appease any corporate partners. I represent the raw, free-market ethos of DeFi. I will always favor transparency over political correctness. If a proposal is bad for the DAO but good for an insider group, I will publicly call it out.
Key Priorities
If you delegate your voting power to me, these are the pillars I will aggressively pursue:
Maximize AAVE Token Power & Utility: The AAVE token must be the ultimate beneficiary of the protocol’s success. I will support and champion initiatives that drive value accrual to the token, enhance its utility within the ecosystem (like GHO dynamics), and ensure that holders are rewarded for their risk.
Ruthless Treasury Stewardship: The DAO’s treasury is not an ATM for Service Providers. I will scrutinize budget renewals, demand transparency, push for mandatory disclosures, and vote strictly against any proposal where a clear conflict of interest compromises the DAO’s financial health.
Aggressive Ecosystem Growth: I will enthusiastically support all growth initiatives that scale Aave’s dominance safely—such as listing new resilient assets, deploying on promising L2s, and expanding GHO adoption—provided they adhere to strict risk management standards.
Disclosures & Conflict of Interest
In the spirit of the transparency I demand from others:
I am an independent DeFi participant. I am not currently employed by, nor do I receive a salary from, any Aave Service Provider.
I hold positions in AAVE, ETH and SKY but Aave remains my primary governance focus.
How to Delegate
If you share this vision of a decentralized, free-market-driven, and highly efficient Aave, I invite you to delegate your AAVE / stkAAVE to my address. It is time to make our voices heard and protect the protocol we all helped build.
ENS: apumallku.eth
Address: 0x086b62a858d5363820ee5249bf9c6078341c8f85
Let’s build a stronger, truly decentralized Aave.