
Aave
AuditedVerifiedBlue ChipAave is the leading decentralized liquidity protocol where users supply assets to earn yield and borrow against overcollateralized positions across 20+ chains, with $13.8B+ TVL.
Active Risk Alerts
Live signals detected by Sentinel monitors across all five risk classes.
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Score history
This rating is re-checked every month. A point is recorded for every check, so a flat line means we looked and nothing moved. Hover anywhere on the chart to see what moved that month, and by how much.
The Problem
Idle assets in wallets generate no yield, and accessing liquidity against holdings typically requires selling (a taxable event). DeFi capital is fragmented across chains.
The Solution
Aave lets users earn interest on deposits and unlock liquidity from their assets without selling them, across 20+ chains via a unified protocol.
Why it Matters
The largest, most liquid, and most integrated lending protocol in DeFi — pioneering flash loans, E-Mode for capital-efficient correlated borrowing, and the GHO native stablecoin.
Protocol Metrics
Related Research
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September 2026: A DeFi Yield Guide
The DeFi Sentinel yield guide as it stood this month: every position on the board with its Safety Score, the mechanism that produces the yield, and the specific thing that would break it. Figures are frozen at publication.

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How to Value a DeFi Token: A Guide to the Token Valuation Tool
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Frequently asked questions about Aave
What is Aave?+
Aave is a Lending protocol operating on Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, Avalanche, Polygon, BNB Chain, Optimism, Gnosis, Mantle, Linea, Scroll, zkSync Era, Metis, Sonic, Celo. Aave is the leading decentralized liquidity protocol where users supply assets to earn yield and borrow against overcollateralized positions across 20+ chains, with $13.8B+ TVL.
How does Aave work?+
Aave lets users earn interest on deposits and unlock liquidity from their assets without selling them, across 20+ chains via a unified protocol.
Is Aave safe?+
DeFi Sentinel rates Aave AAA with a safety score of 97/100, indicating highest safety tier. The score reflects five risk dimensions: smart contract & technical risk, economic design & market risk, governance & centralization, sustainability & competitive position, and reputation & social trust. Aave has 6 audits on record. DeFi Sentinel's analysis flagged 1 medium, 1 low risk alerts across Smart Contract & Technical Risk and Economic Design & Market Risk. As with all DeFi protocols, residual risk remains and users should review the full risk breakdown before depositing.
What is the safety score of Aave?+
Aave has a DeFi Sentinel safety score of 97/100 (rating AAA), last updated September 16, 2026. The score is computed across smart contract & technical risk (30%), economic design & market risk (25%), governance & centralization (20%), sustainability & competitive position (15%), and reputation & social trust (10%).
Which chains does Aave support?+
Aave is deployed on Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, Avalanche, Polygon, BNB Chain, Optimism, Gnosis, Mantle, Linea, Scroll, zkSync Era, Metis, Sonic, Celo.
Has Aave been audited?+
Yes. Aave has 6 audit reports on record from firms including OpenZeppelin, Trail of Bits, Sigma Prime. Audit reports and dates are linked under the Resources tab on this page.