Standard Chartered initiated coverage of AAVE with a price target of $3,500 by end-2030, representing a ~50x increase from ~$70. The bank expects the token to reach $180 by end-2025, then $600, $1,200, and $2,200 in subsequent years. Analysts believe Aave has overcome an April liquidity crisis triggered by a $291 million exploit at KelpDAO, which halved deposits from $44 billion to $23 billion. Aave's market share dropped from 59% to 38%. The bullish case relies on Aave Horizon, an institutional lending arm, but partnerships with traditional finance are unproven. The forecast also assumes DeFi assets grow 37x to $2.7 trillion by 2030. Risks include crypto volatility; Bitcoin and Ethereum targets are $500,000 and $40,000 respectively.

Key facts

• Standard Chartered sets AAVE price target of $3,500 by end-2030, up from ~$70.
• Aave deposits halved to $23 billion after April KelpDAO exploit.
• Bank expects DeFi assets to grow 37x to $2.7 trillion by 2030.
• Aave Horizon institutional lending requires unproven TradFi partnerships.
• AAVE rose 9% on the day after the report, but crypto market remains volatile.

KeyAudit data perspective