Owning a governance token gives you a say in how a lending protocol sets its rates, rules and code, but only if the token sits where the vote can see it. Tokens on an exchange, in the wrong form or on the wrong network add nothing, because on-chain voting reads 3 kinds of balance.
Decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocols such as Aave hand these choices to their token holders. In Aave's governance process, an idea starts as a forum post, moves through polls and ends as a binding on-chain proposal that smart contracts carry out once it passes (source: Aave Docs, Governance).
What is voting with AAVE?
Voting with AAVE means using the AAVE, stkAAVE or aAAVE you hold on Ethereum mainnet to back or reject Aave Improvement Proposals (AIPs). These are the binding proposals that change the Aave Protocol. You can vote on each one yourself or let another address vote with your power (source: Aave Help, Voting).
AAVE is the native governance token of Aave and an ERC-20 token on Ethereum. Holders of AAVE and staked AAVE use it to decide on new deployments, parameter changes and features (source: Aave Docs, AAVE Token). A parameter change can raise a market's supply cap or adjust an interest rate setting. That means the result of a vote can change what you earn as a supplier or what you pay as a borrower.
A proposal reaches the binding vote in stages, starting as a post on the Aave Governance Forum. Next come two polls in the Aave space on Snapshot, a Temp Check and then an Aave Request for Final Comments (ARFC). After that it becomes an AIP with its contract code attached. Frameworks for routine changes, such as cap updates, let some proposals skip both polls and go straight to an AIP after a forum post (source: Aave Docs, Governance).
Snapshot is an off-chain, open-source voting platform where communities can vote without paying gas fees (source: Snapshot, What is Snapshot?). Each poll runs for three days and binds nobody. A Temp Check result only shows how much support an idea has at that early stage (source: Aave Help, Voting).
Once an AIP opens, each vote is a choice between YAE, which supports the proposal, and NAY, which opposes it. The Aave governance app shows the running YAE and NAY totals on every proposal (source: Aave, Governance app). When voting closes, the totals go back to Ethereum, where the governance contract checks them against minimum thresholds and the vote differential, the required gap between YAE and NAY. A proposal that clears both tests is then queued in a timelock for execution (source: Aave Docs, Governance).
Which balances count when you vote with AAVE
Three Ethereum mainnet balances count toward Aave voting power: liquid AAVE, stkAAVE (AAVE staked in the Safety Module) and aAAVE (the aToken you get for supplying AAVE to the Ethereum V3 market). Your power is set by the sum of those balances, with any power delegated to you added on top (source: Aave Docs, Governance).
| Balance | What it is | How you get it |
|---|---|---|
| AAVE | The ERC-20 governance token | Buy it and hold it in a wallet you control on Ethereum |
| stkAAVE | AAVE staked in the Safety Module, which was designed as a backstop against protocol insolvency | Stake AAVE in the Safety Module and earn staking rewards |
| aAAVE | The aToken for AAVE supplied to the Ethereum V3 market | Supply AAVE to that market as a lender |
Staking AAVE for stkAAVE and supplying AAVE for aAAVE both keep your voting power, so you can earn rewards or interest and still vote. aAAVE works like any other Aave aToken, a token that tracks the amount you supplied, and each form carries the same weight per token. Say your Ethereum wallet holds 120 AAVE, 50 stkAAVE and 30 aAAVE, so your voting power rests on a total of 200 tokens. If another holder delegates the power of 100 AAVE to you before a proposal's snapshot, your total for that proposal becomes 300.
If the app shows zero voting power, check first whether your AAVE sits on an exchange. On Ethereum, the private key that signs for an address is what gives you custody of the funds in it (source: ethereum.org, Ethereum accounts). Under exchange custody, your balance sits at addresses the exchange signs for, so it adds nothing to the wallet you connect to a governance app. The fix is a withdrawal on the Ethereum network to a self-custody wallet you choose before the next proposal is activated.
If you plan to buy AAVE so you can vote, the order matters: buy, withdraw to your own Ethereum wallet, then vote, stake or supply. BloFin lists AAVE/USDT Spot, where you can buy AAVE and own the token outright. BloFin also lists the AAVEUSDT Perpetual, a USDT-margined contract on the AAVE price that delivers no tokens and so carries no vote.
Before you place a Spot order, compare the maker and taker rates for your tier on the BloFin fee schedule. The trading fee lowers the amount of AAVE you end up holding for the vote.
Where do AAVE voting balances need to be?
Your AAVE, stkAAVE and aAAVE need to stay on Ethereum mainnet, which Aave Governance v3 treats as its Core Network. Votes can run on cheaper Voting Networks such as Polygon PoS and Avalanche C-Chain. You never move tokens there, because each vote is checked against your Ethereum balances (source: Aave Docs, Governance).
Every AIP sets one voting network, and all voting on that proposal happens there. When Governance v3 went live, it enabled Polygon PoS, Avalanche C-Chain and Ethereum mainnet as the first voting networks, with Ethereum as the backup (source: Aave Docs, Governance). Two proposals in the same week can therefore ask you to sign on two different networks. Check the voting network on the proposal page before you press vote, since that is where your wallet will switch.
Casting a vote is an on-chain transaction, and every transaction pays a network fee. On Ethereum this fee is called gas, paid in ETH at a price that rises and falls with how busy the network is (source: ethereum.org, Network fees). When a proposal votes on Polygon PoS or Avalanche C-Chain, you pay gas on that network in the token it uses for fees. Keep a small amount of that token at the same wallet address before voting opens. Delegation and staking happen on Ethereum, so those steps pay Ethereum gas fees in ETH.
Bridging AAVE to the voting network adds a step, a bridge fee and the risk of a stuck transfer, and it gains you nothing. The Voting Network already reads your Ethereum balance where it sits. Keep the tokens on mainnet, and let the wallet switch networks only when the app asks for the vote signature. Confirm that the network name matches the proposal page, sign, and switch back to Ethereum when you are done.
How to cast an on-chain vote in the Aave app
To cast an on-chain vote, open the Aave governance app at app.aave.com/governance and connect the Ethereum wallet that holds your AAVE, stkAAVE or aAAVE. Open an active proposal, choose YAE or NAY, and sign on the proposal's voting network. Holders on Ethereum can vote or delegate from the same app (source: Aave, Governance app).
Work through the vote in this order, and stop at any step that looks different from what you expect:
- Type app.aave.com/governance into the browser yourself or open it from a bookmark. Voting links sent in chats or direct messages are a common way to drain a wallet.
- Connect the wallet that holds the tokens and check the voting power the app shows for your address.
- Open an active proposal, read its summary and the forum thread it links to, and note which voting network it uses.
- Choose YAE to support the proposal or NAY to oppose it, then approve the network switch if the wallet asks for one.
- On the confirmation screen, check the proposal number, your choice and the gas fee before you sign.
- Wait for the transaction to confirm, then reload the proposal and check that your address shows its vote. Keep the transaction hash in case you need it later.
Each proposal in the app's list shows its status, title, author and the running YAE and NAY totals. Proposal 522, the Safety Module August 2026 allowance update by TokenLogic, topped up the AAVE that pays stkAAVE rewards. It passed with 381K YAE and 0 NAY (source: Aave, Governance app). Reading a summary like that one tells you whether a proposal touches a balance you hold before you choose a side.
Timing decides whether you get to vote at all, because an AIP waits one day after it is submitted on-chain before voting opens. An executor is the contract that carries out a passed proposal. Most proposals go to the Short Executor, which allows three days of voting and then a one-day timelock before execution. Proposals that change the governance process go to the Long Executor, where voting lasts 10 days and the timelock runs seven days (source: Aave Help, Voting). So a Short Executor proposal submitted on a Monday opens for votes on Tuesday and closes on Friday. It can be executed on Saturday at the earliest, which means a holder who checks the app once a week can miss the whole vote.
How Governance v3 storage proofs check your vote
A storage proof is a cryptographic proof that a given address held a given balance in a specific Ethereum block. Aave Governance v3 uses one each time you vote on a Voting Network. The proof lets that network confirm your Ethereum balance of AAVE, stkAAVE or aAAVE from another network (source: Aave Docs, Governance).
The block that matters is fixed when the proposal is activated. At that moment Governance v3 records the hash of the Ethereum block just before activation and sends it to the proposal's Voting Network. Every vote on that proposal is then checked against that block. Its hash commits to Ethereum's full state, including every address's AAVE and stkAAVE balances and delegations, which is what makes the proof possible (source: Aave Docs, Governance).
| Moment | What happens |
|---|---|
| The proposal is activated | Ethereum's state at the block before activation becomes the record of balances for that vote |
| You press vote | The interface prepares the proof of your balance at that block |
| You sign on the Voting Network | You pay gas on that network for the vote transaction |
| The vote is recorded | The proof is verified on the Voting Network, along with rules such as the ban on double voting, and the vote is counted |
Smart contract wallets are contract accounts, which are controlled by code and have no private key (source: ethereum.org, Ethereum accounts). Storage-proof voting needs a signed message, which a wallet of that kind cannot produce. Such a wallet may also be missing on Polygon PoS or Avalanche C-Chain. The answer is a voting representative. That separate address, which you name from your Ethereum wallet, votes on the Voting Network with your Ethereum balances (source: Aave Docs, Governance). You can pick a representative in the Aave Labs governance interface (source: Aave Help, Voting).
A normal vote never asks you to send, approve or bridge AAVE. If a prompt asks you to move tokens to a contract so a proof can be made, close the page and start again from your bookmark.
How to delegate AAVE voting power
Delegating lets another Ethereum address vote with the power from your AAVE, stkAAVE or aAAVE while you keep the tokens. Each token carries two powers: voting power for casting votes and proposal power for creating proposals. You can delegate them together or separately to any Ethereum address (source: Aave Docs, Governance).
Delegation suits you when you want your tokens counted on every AIP but cannot follow each one. Choose a delegate whose past votes you can read, such as a public delegate address, a multisig you help run, or a second wallet of your own. Once you have picked a delegate, follow these steps in the governance app:
- Open app.aave.com/governance from your bookmark and connect the wallet that holds the tokens.
- Choose the delegation option, then pick which tokens and which power to delegate: voting power, proposal power, or both.
- Paste the delegate's address and compare it character by character, since an Ethereum address is a 42-character string that starts with 0x (source: ethereum.org, Ethereum accounts).
- Sign the delegation on Ethereum mainnet, where balances and delegations are stored, and pay the gas in ETH.
- Reload the app and check that your power now shows under the delegate's address.
A delegation and a voting representative solve different problems, since delegation hands your voting choices to someone else to make. A representative is an address you name, often one you also control, that signs for you on a Voting Network when your main wallet cannot.
To take the power back, delegate it to your own address, since self-delegation is one way an address holds voting power in Aave governance (source: Aave Docs, Governance). Power follows the balance, so selling, moving or unstaking the tokens also ends the power you delegated from them. A new delegation counts only for proposals activated after it confirms.
Checklist before and after your vote
Use these six checks from preparation through confirmation: identify your eligible balance and when it was held, verify the app and proposal, keep gas on the voting network, and confirm the recorded vote. The first five checks happen before you sign; the sixth happens after the transaction confirms and shows whether your vote was recorded.
Work through the list in order, leaving the final check until the transaction has confirmed:
- Name the balance you rely on: AAVE, stkAAVE, aAAVE, or power delegated to you.
- Confirm that the balance was in place before the proposal was activated.
- Open the app from a bookmark and check the web address before you connect.
- Read the proposal number, title and voting network on the confirmation screen.
- Keep enough gas for the transaction on the network where you will sign.
- After the transaction confirms, reload the proposal and check that your vote appears.
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Your AAVE sits on an exchange | Withdraw it to your own Ethereum wallet before the next proposal is activated |
| Your power is delegated to someone else | Delegate back to your own address, or ask your delegate to vote |
| The vote runs on Polygon PoS or Avalanche C-Chain | Switch the wallet's network for the signature only |
| A voting link arrives in a chat or message | Close it and open the app from your bookmark |
| A smart contract wallet will not sign the vote | Set a voting representative from your Ethereum address |
| You voted in a Snapshot poll only | Vote again when the AIP opens on-chain |
When something looks wrong, stop at the confirmation screen and read the network name and proposal number again before you sign.
If you still need AAVE before the next proposal opens, the usual route is a spot purchase.
Looking to trade AAVE tokens on BloFin? To get started, you'll need to first create a BloFin account, fund your account with cryptocurrency, then open the AAVE/USDT Spot trading page or the AAVEUSDT Perpetual page.
Frequently asked questions
Do Aave delegates get paid for voting?
Some Aave delegates are paid for their governance work through the Orbit program, while others vote without pay (source: Aave Docs, Governance). Delegates vote on proposals for everyone who has delegated power to them, and their total grows as more holders join. Payment does not touch custody, because your tokens stay in your own wallet the whole time. Before you choose a paid delegate, read how they voted on recent proposals you care about, since every vote they cast carries your weight.
Can one address act as the voting representative for several wallets?
One address can act as the voting representative for many other addresses at once. It votes on its network with each wallet's Ethereum balances and the delegations those wallets have received. Representatives are set separately for each network, so a multisig can name one address for Polygon PoS and another for Avalanche C-Chain (source: Aave Docs, Governance). That helps teams and funds that hold AAVE in a smart contract wallet, because one trusted signer can then cover every wallet they manage across governance votes.
Who can stop a malicious Aave proposal after it passes?
The Aave Governance Emergency Guardian can veto an on-chain payload it judges malicious, which guards the protocol against a governance takeover. It is a multi-signature wallet that needs 5 of its 9 community-elected signers, who come from projects such as Lido, Balancer, Zapper and Certora. A separate Protocol Emergency Guardian, a wallet that needs 4 of its 7 signers, holds the emergency admin role for Aave markets (source: Aave Docs, Governance). Your vote still decides which proposals pass, while the guardians act as a safety check on what gets executed.
Can I vote with AAVE held on Arbitrum, Base, or Polygon?
AAVE held on Arbitrum, Base, Optimism or Polygon adds nothing to your Aave voting power, because governance power comes only from balances on Ethereum mainnet (source: Aave Docs, Governance). The token reaches those networks through canonical bridges, and moving it back to Ethereum depends on that network's bridge being available (source: Aave Docs, AAVE Token). Polygon is easy to confuse here, because Polygon PoS can host a vote while AAVE held on Polygon PoS supplies no power. Bridge the tokens back to Ethereum before a proposal is activated if you want them counted.
Does Aave V4 change how voting works?
Aave V4 went live on Ethereum mainnet on March 30, 2026, with three Liquidity Hubs, which hold supplied assets in shared pools. The Aave DAO decides through governance when to lift the V4 supply and borrow caps, add Spokes (the markets that connect to a Hub) and extend V4 to other networks (source: Aave Labs, Aave V4 is Live on Ethereum). Voting still runs on Governance v3, whose voting-power list names aAAVE from the Ethereum V3 market (source: Aave Docs, Governance). If you supply AAVE through V4, check that the governance app shows the power before a proposal is activated.
What happens to my vote if I sell AAVE during an open proposal?
Your vote on an open proposal still uses the balance your address held at the Ethereum block recorded when that proposal was activated, even if you sell afterward (source: Aave Docs, Governance). The buyer cannot vote those same tokens on that proposal, since their address did not hold them at that block, and the system also rejects double voting. The sale shows up on the next proposal, whose recorded block captures your smaller balance, so plan any sale around the proposals you still want to vote on.
Researched and written by the BloFin Academy editorial team with AI-assisted drafting. Primary sources include Aave Voting help, the Aave governance and AAVE Token docs, the Aave governance app, the Aave V4 launch announcement, ethereum.org, and the Snapshot documentation. All facts independently verified against cited documentation current as of October 2026.
This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not financial, investment, trading, or legal advice. Cryptocurrency can lose value. Borrowing on Aave can lead to liquidation if the health factor drops below 1. Spot AAVE/USDT buys the token. An AAVEUSDT Perpetual is a contract on the price. Do your own research. Consider your circumstances before using any protocol or trading any asset.