Solana Foundation Extends USDT Loan to Aave as DeFi Liquidity Tightens

Lily Liu, chair of the Solana Foundation, said the foundation has provided Aave with a USDT-denominated loan aimed at supporting DeFi ecosystem recovery, according to CoinDesk. The comments followed a sharp liquidity shock on Aave's Ethereum market, which was frozen after a $6 billion wave of withdrawals tied to a vulnerability involving KelpDAO. The structure of the USDT facility mirrors an earlier collaboration between the Solana Foundation and Aave. Separately, a Polymarket contract tied to a Solana price target of $150 by April 2026 is currently priced at 15% "Yes," with six days remaining until settlement. The market backdrop comes as Solana governance has approved deploying Aave V3 on Solana, with launch expected soon. If rolled out as planned, Solana would become a direct host chain for one of DeFi's largest lending protocols, potentially lifting TVL and on-chain lending activity. The foundation's loan underscores a willingness to back critical DeFi infrastructure during periods of liquidity stress. With limited time left on the contract and spot levels well below $150, the target looks difficult. Institutional names such as BlackRock and Fidelity have been cited as signals of interest in Solana, though near-term pricing will hinge on catalysts including the Aave V3 launch on Solana, any Solana Labs network upgrade announcements, and whether Ethereum's liquidity conditions stabilize or worsen following the exploit. API CTA