Aave, a leading DeFi lending protocol, saw its monthly active users soar to a record 155,000 in February, nearly doubling from six months ago. This surge is attributed to the collapse of the popular "basis trading" strategy, which previously offered returns of 10-30% but now yields below 4%. As a result, investors are turning to lending as a viable alternative. Despite recent governance challenges, including the dissolution of the Aave Chan Initiative and BGD Labs' withdrawal, Aave's lending operations remain robust. The protocol currently holds nearly $27 billion in total value locked across 20 blockchains, maintaining its lead in the DeFi lending sector.