Retail Capitulation Hits AAVE, But Smart Money Starts Positioning: Here The Post-Crisis Market Structure
Aave experienced a $170-230 million bad debt crisis in April 2026 after attackers exploited a Kelp DAO vulnerability to deposit stolen rsETH as collateral, causing AAVE token to collapse to $93.90 despite the protocol's own code remaining uncompromised. Market data shows retail panic selling coinciding with whale accumulation at lower levels, suggesting early-stage recovery conditions are forming.

