Geoff Kendrick stated Aave has moved beyond the market disruptions caused by the April cyberattack and is positioned to capitalize on the rise of tokenized assets and decentralized finance.
By Will Canny, AI Boost|Edited by Stephen Alpher Jun 24, 2026, 12:48 p.m. 2 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on Stani Kulechov, Aave Labs (Olivier Acuna/CoinDesk)SummaryShow- Geoff Kendrick from Standard Chartered has set a price target of $3,500 for Aave by 2030, indicating a potential 50-fold increase from its current price.
- Kendrick noted that Aave has largely rebounded from market share losses due to the April KelpDAO exploit and is regaining assets on its platform.
- Growth in tokenized assets within DeFi is projected to increase 37 times by 2030, offering a significant boost to Aave's lending operations.
Geoff Kendrick of Standard Chartered has begun coverage on Aave AAVE$76.59, predicting that the token could rise to $3,500 by 2030, benefiting from a resurgence in decentralized finance and tokenized real-world assets.
This forecast suggests a nearly 50-fold increase from AAVE's current price, which hovers around $70, and would position the token to outperform both bitcoin BTC$62,525.91 and ether (ETH) during the same period, according to Kendrick's report.
"We believe Aave has moved beyond the effects of the April cyber theft as assets are beginning to return to the platform," Kendrick, who leads digital assets research at Standard Chartered, stated in his recent analysis. The protocol seems to have recovered from the incident and is well-placed to sustain its leadership in on-chain lending, he remarked.
The KelpDAO exploit in April, which involved the rsETH bridge, created significant turmoil within DeFi, as hackers used approximately $290 million worth of stolen tokens as collateral on Aave to secure real assets.
This event left Aave susceptible to losses estimated at $230 million, triggered a wave of withdrawals from depositors, and highlighted how vulnerabilities in one protocol can affect the entire DeFi landscape.
Kendrick likened Aave to a blockchain-based bank that functions autonomously without employees or discretionary decision-making. At its peak in October 2025, the protocol managed around $75 billion in deposits, a figure that would have ranked it among the top 30 banks in the United States, according to Kendrick.
Looking forward, Kendrick anticipates that the value of tokenized assets actively utilized in DeFi applications will expand 37-fold by the decade's end. Given that Aave's revenue is closely linked to lending activities and deposits, he expects this growth to translate directly into increases for the AAVE token.
The report also mentioned the potential revival of Aave's token buyback program as an additional catalyst for growth. The Horizon initiative, which aims to facilitate lending against tokenized real-world assets in a controlled environment, could attract traditional financial institutions and drive adoption.
Despite recent downturns in the digital asset market, the overall environment for cryptocurrency prices is improving, and Aave is predicted to be one of the beneficiaries as capital flows back into DeFi, the report concluded.
Aave saw a 5.6% increase in value over the past 24 hours, trading around $76.
Read more: DeFi shaken by $292 million hack, but showing resilience, Standard Chartered says
DeFiHackAI Disclaimer: Portions of this article were generated using AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more details, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.Related AssetsBitcoin$62,525.910.53%Aave$76.596.30%Latest Crypto News- 1CZ, Binance founder, wants to clear up 'misunderstandings' about who he is 1 minute ago
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CEX Volumes Drop to Lowest Since September 2024 as RWA Perps Hit Record High
CEX Volumes Drop to Lowest Since September 2024 as RWA Perps Hit Record High
In May, combined exchange volumes fell 3.45% to $4.41T; the lowest since September 2024. RWA perpetual futures volumes rose 10.4% against the trend, hitting a new all-time high.
By CoinDesk ResearchJun 15, 2026In May, combined exchange volumes fell 3.45% to $4.41T; the lowest since September 2024. RWA perpetual futures volumes rose 10.4% against the trend, hitting a new all-time high.
Why it matters:
In May, combined exchange volumes fell 3.45% to $4.41T; the lowest since September 2024. RWA perpetual futures volumes rose 10.4% against the trend, hitting a new all-time high.
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