Marc Zeller, a former core member of AAVE, has emphasized the importance of the Aave DAO in driving the protocol's operations, asserting that it, rather than the now-independent company Avara, is the true engine behind AAVE. Over the past three years, the DAO's service providers have managed core tasks such as risk management, technology upgrades, and ecosystem expansion, contributing significantly to the protocol's revenue. Zeller warned that if strategic brand assets like domain names and trademarks remain under the control of private companies, it could undermine the DAO's governance, affect ecosystem fairness, and hinder talent retention. He stressed that this could ultimately threaten the long-term stability and development of the protocol.