Curve Finance has always flown under the radar compared to flashy DeFi protocols. But now, it’s stepping into the spotlight with a $6.6 million CRV grant proposal that could shape the ecosystem for 2026.
Founder Michael Egorov has put forward a request for 17.45 million CRV tokens to fund Swiss Stake AG, the team behind Curve. The aim? Keep the protocol running, secure, and evolving without cutting corners.
A proposal to grant 17.45M CRV to Swiss Stake AG for further development of technologies for Curve.
— Curve Finance (@CurveFinance) December 14, 2025
Please vote at: https://t.co/Mhg1knf2Yu
And read the proposal at: https://t.co/hhiZtzR696 pic.twitter.com/NvwAE6ma3o
Why this grant matters
Egorov lays it out clearly: the funds will cover software development, research, infrastructure, security, and ecosystem support. That’s the backbone work most users never see, but it’s what keeps Curve reliable and safe.
The team currently has 25 contributors, and this grant would ensure they can continue building, maintaining, and improving the protocol without being held back by funding limits.
Swiss Stake AG also has an ambitious 2026 roadmap:
- Launch and scale the next version of Llamalend, Curve’s lending product
- Develop an onchain foreign exchange swap system
- Upgrade the user interface for smoother interactions
Plus, all intellectual property created with the grant would remain open source, keeping Curve’s development transparent and community-friendly.
Staking and accountability
The proposal allows Swiss Stake AG to stake a portion of the CRV to generate yield, but only within defined limits. They’ve also promised biannual reports detailing exactly how the funds are spent.
Despite having revenue streams from Curve Lite deployments and veCRV staking via Convex, StakeDAO, and Yearn, Egorov admits the team still relies on community support to fully fund operations.
The bigger picture
The grant isn’t just about Curve, it’s part of a bigger trend in DeFi. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin recently said that on-chain savings are no longer experimental. DeFi is starting to compete with traditional banks, thanks to improved security, usability, and maturity.
Buterin highlighted the “walkaway test,” which ensures users can always recover funds independently, a huge shift from the risky, hack-prone days of early yield farming.
Curve’s proposal fits into this evolution. It’s about long-term sustainability, not short-term hype. Funding the team ensures that the protocol can continue innovating safely, while the community benefits from secure, composable, and open-source DeFi tools.
Bottom line
Curve isn’t chasing headlines. It’s building the infrastructure that allows DeFi to scale safely.
This $6.6 million grant is more than just money, it’s a vote of confidence in the team and a signal that serious DeFi is maturing. The question now isn’t whether Curve will survive—it’s whether it will continue to lead quietly while the rest of the space chases the next flashy token.
