Aave x CoW DAO: Building user-first DeFi

Aave Labs and CoW DAO have joined forces to bring solver-powered, MEV-protected trading to Aave's lending ecosystem. The partnership unlocks a new generation of DeFi use cases - from collateral swaps to debt rebalancing - enabled by Aave's swap adaptors and CoW Protocol's intent-based flash-loans. Together, Aave and CoW Swap are bringing solver-powered execution, MEV protection, and one-click simplicity to millions of users across DeFi.

From Commands to Intentions

Until now, DeFi has been command-driven: users had to tell blockchains exactly what to do. Approve this token. Swap that asset. Bridge over here.

With the CoW DAO Aave partnership, that logic has shifted. Users simply express what they want – "repay my loan," "rebalance my position," "swap this for that" – and CoW Protocol’s solver network competes to make it happen efficiently and fairly. It's DeFi that feels less like coding and more like expressing a goal.

And because solvers compete for each execution, every transaction benefits from price discovery and surplus delivery – meaning users consistently get more value than they would through a single-route DEX or bridge.

A Smarter Foundation for Lending

When users interact with Aave, every action – from swapping collateral to repaying loans – creates a chain of sub-transactions. Each one costs gas, time, and exposure to MEV.

By building CoW Protocol directly into Aave's architecture, those frictions disappear. Now, users can manage the entire lifecycle of their positions – collateral swaps, debt swaps, and even "repay with collateral" – in one smooth flow, right within the Aave interface.

Behind the scenes, CoW Protocol's solver network does the heavy lifting. Solvers compete in batch auctions to deliver the best possible price, lowest gas, and most efficient route – all while protecting users from frontrunning and sandwich attacks.

The same system already processes over $10 billion in monthly trade volume on CoW Swap, saving users millions in extracted MEV value. Now, that same infrastructure safeguards every Aave swap.

The result: fewer steps, lower costs, and a new default for user protection in DeFi.

New Tools for Builders

This collaboration isn't just for everyday users. It also unlocks an entirely new design space for developers - including intent-based flash loans.

CoW Protocol integrated Aave's swap adaptor framework directly into its solver architecture, creating "wrappers" that let flash loans run inside intent-based transactions. In practice, this means solvers can borrow, swap, and repay - all in one atomic flow.

By combining Aave's programmable liquidity with CoW's intent engine, builders can now design more efficient and composable strategies for arbitrage, refinancing, and liquidation - without custom routing or gas gymnastics.

Nearly two years in the making, the partnership builds on a shared vision of safe, transparent, and user-first DeFi.

Turning Principles into Performance

Both Aave and CoW DAO have earned their place in DeFi by holding the same line: decentralization, transparency, and user protection come first.

This partnership turns those shared principles into real-world performance – faster execution, fairer pricing, and stronger security for millions of users. Aave users can start experiencing these benefits now at aave.com.

CoW Swap traders can also swap aTokens directly on cow.fi - accessing interest-bearing assets without ever leaving the CoW interface.

Because the future of DeFi isn't about more clicks. It's about better intentions.