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Aave vs zkLend

How Aave vs zkLend compare on our ratings, lending protocol specs, funding, pros and cons.

Aave4.0/5
VS
zkLend1.4/5
Feature
AaveVisit
zkLendVisit
Ratings
Our score4.0/51.4/5
User ratingNo reviews yetNo reviews yet
Security & track record3.50.5
Rates3.51.0
Market depth5.01.0
Ease of use3.52.0
Decentralization4.53.0
Specs
KYC required No No
Lending modelPooledPooled
ChainsEthereum, Base, Arbitrum, Avalanche, BNB Chain, OtherOther
Main collateral assetsUSDC, USDT, WETH, wBTC, LINK, wstETH, cbBTC, GHO, AAVE, ETH-correlated assetsUSDC, USDT, DAI, ETH, WBTC, wstETH, STRK
Flash loans YesNot disclosed
Permissionless markets No Yes
Audited YesNot disclosed
Bug bounty YesNot disclosed
Governance tokenAAVEZEND
Isolated markets YesNot disclosed
Real-world-asset collateral Yes No
Own stablecoin Yes No
RatesVariableNot disclosed
Company
Founded20172021
HeadquartersFinlandHong Kong
InvestorsBlockchain Capital, Framework Ventures, Standard CryptoDelphi Digital, Amber Group, Ascensive Assets, CMS Holdings +8
Strengths and weaknesses
Pros
  • $18.006B combined TVL in October 2026
  • Operates across 23 blockchain networks
  • Non-custodial wallet-based access
  • V3 includes Isolation Mode and Efficiency Mode
  • Native Starknet integration offered low transaction costs compared to Ethereum mainnet
  • Raised $5M from notable investors including Delphi Digital and StarkWare
  • Peaked at $55.9M in total value locked in March 2024
  • Distributed remaining treasury assets via a public recovery portal after halting
Cons
  • Variable borrowing rates can rise with market utilisation
  • Liquidation can sell collateral after health-factor deterioration
  • Smart contract and oracle risks remain
  • Collateral depends on external bridges and asset issuers
  • Ceased operations in June 2025 with $0 active liquidity
  • Lost $9.55M to a contract logic exploit in February 2025
  • ZEND governance token was delisted from major exchanges prior to wind-down
Best forMulti-chain DeFi borrowers, Collateralised crypto lending, Stablecoin liquidity strategiesHistorical Starknet DeFi research, Former users claiming recovery distributions

Highlighted cells show the stronger value in each row. Data comes from each provider's site and public sources; check details before you sign up.