Decentralized Finance Powerhouse Sees Valuation Soar Past Nine-Figure Milestone Following Massive Ether Commitment

Table of Contents DeFi United has secured more than 132,000 ETH valued at over $300 million to address losses from the Kelp DAO exploit. Consensys and Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin pledged 30,000 ETH to support the recovery. Circle Ventures also confirmed AAVE token purchases to reduce pressure on the lending protocol. Circle Ventures announced it is buying AAVE tokens to support market stability. The firm stated, “Strong DeFi infrastructure does not build itself.” It added that Aave helps shape onchain finance and supports its broader community. Circle Ventures is purchasing $AAVE tokens because strong DeFi infrastructure does not build itself. Aave is helping to shape the future of onchain finance, and we’re backing that ecosystem and the entire community built around it. DeFi United — Circle (@circle) April 27, 2026 At the same time, Consensys and Joseph Lubin committed 30,000 ETH to the coordinated recovery plan. Aave confirmed the pledge on Monday and credited the contribution for accelerating progress. It said, “The recovery would not be progressing as it is without them.” Consensys-backed treasury firm Sharplink will also provide strategic advice to the initiative. The combined effort has now raised more than 132,000 ETH. That amount equals over $300 million at current market prices. The exploit occurred after an attacker minted unbacked rsETH through a compromised LayerZero bridge. The attacker then used the tokens as collateral on Aave to borrow assets. This sequence left Aave with bad debt tied to the unbacked rsETH. DeFi United directs contributions to close the remaining shortfall linked to rsETH. Last week, Aave service providers proposed allocating 25,000 ETH from the protocol’s DAO. That allocation equals nearly $58 million based on recent prices. As of Monday, the broader effort had raised roughly $235 million worth of Ethereum before the latest pledges. Lido DAO proposed contributing up to 2,500 ETH to the plan. Ether.fi also proposed up to 5,000 ETH to support the recovery. Kelp DAO pledged 2,000 ETH to help restore rsETH backing. Dozens of individuals have also transferred smaller amounts of ETH and stablecoins. X user DCF GOD estimated that the funding gap had already been filled if all proposals passed. Data from The Block shows total value locked across DeFi protocols stands at nearly $82 billion. That figure reflects a decline of over 25% from $110 billion at the start of the year.