Stani Kulechov Accuses Kamino of “Copying” Aave

A heated showdown erupted on Crypto Twitter after Aave co-founder Stani Kulechov accused Kamino of “copying” Aave, sparking sharp rebuttals from several crypto veterans, including Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko. Despite these allegations, Kamino’s emergence as 2024’s fastest growing crypto lending protocol paints a different picture altogether.

Aave vs Kamino

Amid the ongoing competition in the decentralized finance (DeFi) lending space, Kulechov criticized Kamino for adopting Aave’s ‘old technology’ and presenting a ‘half-baked’ user interface.

The state of Solana DeFi:

– Copycat Aave’s old tech
– Slap a half baked UI
– Restrict also UK users from using it
– Solana foundation president calls it a better product

Expect people to buy the bluff. https://t.co/wbeDnwlBSu

— Stani.eth (@StaniKulechov) February 10, 2025

This accusation quickly triggered a sharp response from the Solana community, including Yakovenko, who argued that Kamino was superior.

Yakovenko fired back, saying, “1/8th the TVL but 1/2.5 the revenue. I don’t see how Aave is a better product. TVL is a cost if you can’t squeeze revenue out of it.”

Kulechov countered the claims by pointing out that Kamino takes a larger cut from its users. He noted that while Aave’s USDC Reserve Factor is 10%, Kamino takes a 15% cut. Kulechov attributed this difference to the lack of competition in the Solana ecosystem, suggesting that users are paying the price for it.

Marc Zeller, an early member of the Aave development team, also voiced his criticism of certain DeFi projects when they face challenges.

However, despite his criticism of Kamino, Kulechov acknowledged in a recent podcast, “In general, the more developers on the chain, the better, it doesn’t matter where they start or end. I’d be happier if Solana had more developers building resilient, safe, and secure DeFi.”

Kamino: Fastest Growing Lending Protocol Since Q1 of 2024

In terms of actual growth, Token Terminal reported that Kamino, Solana’s on-chain DeFi project, has seen a 1,368% increase in net deposits since January 2024. In comparison, Morpho’s net deposits grew by 214% over the same period, while Aave’s net deposit growth rate stands at 213%.

Which lending protocol* has grown the fastest since Jan 1st 2024?

Answer: @KaminoFinance on @solana

* With active loans > $1 billion pic.twitter.com/ZPjWUZ4g3n

— Token Terminal | We are hiring! (@tokenterminal) February 11, 2025

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