Overview Page
Aave Protocol Overview
Introduction
Aave is a decentralized, non-custodial liquidity protocol where users can participate as depositors or borrowers. Depositors provide liquidity to the market to earn passive income, while borrowers can borrow in either an overcollateralized (perpetual) or undercollateralized (one-block liquidity) fashion.
Core Features
Lending and Borrowing
- Depositors supply assets to earn interest
- Borrowers can take out overcollateralized loans by providing sufficient collateral
- Supports both variable and stable interest rates
- Real-time interest rate adjustment based on market conditions
Advanced Borrowing Modes
- High Efficiency Mode (E-Mode): Enables higher borrowing power for correlated assets
- Isolation Mode: Allows new assets to be listed with specific restrictions to protect the protocol
- Siloed Borrowing: Limits certain assets to prevent cross-asset risk contamination
- Credit Delegation: Enables users to delegate their credit line to other addresses
Flash Loans
- Uncollateralized loans that must be repaid within the same transaction block
- Used for arbitrage, collateral swaps, and refinancing
- Generates protocol fees with zero risk
Protocol Governance
Structure
- Fully decentralized governance through the Aave DAO
- AAVE token holders can propose and vote on protocol changes
- Active delegate system for enhanced participation
- Transparent proposal and voting processes
Key Components
- Aave Improvement Proposals (AIPs): Formal mechanism for protocol changes
- Voting System: On-chain and off-chain (Snapshot) voting mechanisms
- Delegate Framework: Allows token holders to delegate voting power
- Treasury Management: Community-controlled protocol treasury
- Guardians: Elected members tasked with specific financial or emergency powers on Aave multi-sigs
Risk Management
Security Measures
- Regular security audits by leading firms
- Multiple risk assessment providers
- Real-time monitoring and risk parameters
- Emergency response procedures
Risk Parameters
- Collateralization ratios
- Liquidation thresholds
- Interest rate models
- Supply and borrow caps
Tokennomics
AAVE Token
- Total Supply: 16,000,000 AAVE
- Primary Uses:
- Governance voting
- Safety Module staking
- Protocol fee discounts
- Governance delegation
Safety Module
- Backstop for protocol solvency
- Stakers earn rewards while securing the protocol
- Acts as a defense mechanism against shortfall events
Technical Infrastructure
Smart Contracts
- Core protocol contracts
- Peripheral and utility contracts
- Oracle price feeds
- Asset-specific adapters
Integrations
- Cross-chain deployments
- Oracle networks
- Bridge protocols
- Frontend interfaces
Development Resources
Documentation
- Technical documentation
- Integration guides
- API references
- Smart contract specifications
Support Channels
- Developer forums
- Community channels
- Bug bounty program
- Technical support
Getting Started
For Users
- Web interface at app.aave.com
- Mobile applications
- Documentation and guides
- Community support
For Developers
- GitHub repositories
- Development frameworks
- Testing environments
- Integration tools