Aave V4 proposal would put DAO funds first in line to absorb lending losses

Aave V4 lenders supplying wrapped Ether (WETH), USDC or USDT to its Core liquidity Hub on Ethereum would receive a bad-debt backstop under a Sept. 11 proposal from TokenLogic. The Umbrella plan would put Aave’s DAO first in absorbing losses, followed by volunteer underwriters, while limiting this initial coverage to those three lending markets.

The proposed underwriting targets are 800 ETH for Core WETH, 400,000 USDC for Core USDC and 400,000 USDT for Core USDT. TokenLogic sized them for six to eight weeks of expected loan growth. They are targets for a proposed configuration, not balances already committed to protecting lenders.

For suppliers, the boundary is the specific reserve, or asset pool, receiving their deposit. Coverage for Core USDC would not extend to USDC supplied to another Hub, even though the token is the same. Capital allocated to one Hub asset cannot clear another reserve’s deficit.

Who would absorb losses?

Bad debt arises when liquidation exhausts a borrower’s collateral but leaves debt unpaid. Under the proposed framework, Aave’s DAO would absorb an initial layer through “deficit offsets”: 33 ETH for Core WETH, 15,000 USDC for Core USDC and 15,000 USDT for Core USDT.

Umbrella underwriters could lose their committed capital to cover deficits beyond that layer. Their funds would keep earning supply yield until used, with coverage implemented by burning supplied Hub shares. Additional rewards compensate participants for accepting that loss risk.

Eligibility for that coverage would include all borrowing from each protected reserve. That includes loans originated through Spokes, the components where debt is created, whose collateral sits in other Hubs. Those credit lines still expose the Core reserve supplying the borrowed asset.

Underwriters would also face a delay when leaving. Each proposed market specifies a 20-day cooldown followed by a two-day withdrawal window. Aave’s withdrawal guidance says participants who miss the window must activate another cooldown and wait a further 20 days.

Starting that exit process does not remove the risk: Aave’s Umbrella documentation says staked assets remain exposed to slashing during cooldown while continuing to earn rewards. The extra yield therefore comes with both potential capital loss and restricted access to funds.

TokenLogic does not recommend initial general-purpose coverage for USDG or frxUSD. It cites uncertainty over incentive-sensitive lending activity and the ability to attract underwriters who transfer risk away from existing suppliers. For frxUSD, it highlights a concentrated, issuer-linked supplier base.

The assessment also leaves other Hubs’ reserves outside the initial plan, for varying reasons including limited incremental protection and narrow supplier bases. These exclusions do not mean the loans lack collateral or that losses are imminent.

TokenLogic proposes monitoring conditions after activation and reassessing the framework after three months, with excluded markets reconsidered as lending activity matures and supplier bases diversify.