Curve Founder Seeks $6.6M CRV Grant for 2026 Protocol Development

• Curve founder Michael Egorov seeks 17.45M CRV to extend core protocol development.
• Grant would fund Swiss Stake AG research, security, and staffing through the 2026 period.
• Proposal outlines Llamalend V2, FXSwap, and open-source reporting requirements rules.

Curve Finance founder Michael Egorov submitted a governance proposal requesting a 17.45 million CRV allocation to fund protocol development. The proposal, posted on the Curve DAO governance forum, seeks to extend funding for Swiss Stake AG, Curve’s core development company, beginning January 2026. Egorov said the funding supports research, infrastructure, security, and staffing while ensuring continuity after the prior grant expired in August 2025.

CRV Grant Targets Development Continuity

According to the proposal, the requested CRV allocation is valued at roughly $6.6 million at current market prices. The grant follows a similar package approved by the Curve DAO in late 2024, which funded one year of development work. Swiss Stake AG continued operating for several months afterward using unspent funds from that earlier grant.

Swiss Stake AG, based in Zug, Switzerland, originally developed Curve’s software repositories and continues to maintain them today. However, the firm operates independently from the Curve DAO despite its central technical role. Egorov said the new funding would preserve development continuity and retain institutional knowledge within the Curve ecosystem.

The proposal states that the CRV tokens would fund software research, infrastructure development, security audits, and ecosystem support. Moreover, the allocation would sustain a 25-member contributor team working directly or indirectly on Curve-related projects. Egorov emphasized that retaining experienced contributors remains essential to Curve’s competitiveness.

The CRV tokens would vest through a smart contract over a 12-month period. Withdrawals would follow governance rules defined by the DAO, while unused funds would roll over or return to the DAO if unused. Swiss Stake AG would also be permitted to stake unused CRV to generate yield strictly for approved development purposes.

2026 Roadmap Focuses on Lending and FX Markets

Looking ahead, Swiss Stake AG outlined a detailed 2026 roadmap within the proposal. A central priority is launching and scaling Llamalend V2, the next iteration of Curve’s lending protocol. Notably, the new version introduces DAO admin fees and supports collateral beyond crvUSD.

However, Llamalend V2 also allows lending markets for a broader range of assets, tightening integration between Curve’s DEX and lending layers. According to the proposal, security audits for the new version are nearing completion. The team expects public deployment shortly after audits conclude.

Beyond lending, the roadmap includes the development of FXSwap, which is Curve’s onchain foreign exchange system. FXSwap targets low-volatility assets, including foreign currencies and real-world assets such as tokenized gold. The proposal positions FXSwap as a step toward expanding Curve’s role beyond stablecoin liquidity.

Meanwhile, Swiss Stake AG plans continued development of crvUSD and its broader lending infrastructure. Planned work includes expanded collateral options, improved semi-isolated lending, and refined risk management models. These upgrades aim to improve capital efficiency and protocol resilience.

The roadmap also shows cross-chain deployment and DAO tooling improvements. Accordingly, the team plans to enhance governance coordination across multiple networks. User interface upgrades remain another focus, targeting faster performance, clearer navigation, and improved accessibility.

Related: Alliance DAO Leader Rejects L1 Tokens As Lasting Investments

Transparency Rules and Sustainability Goals

Alongside technical objectives, the proposal outlines clear transparency and accountability requirements. Swiss Stake AG is committed to publishing bi-annual reports detailing spending and ongoing initiatives on the governance forum. These reports aim to provide token holders with clear oversight.

Importantly, all intellectual property created using grant funds must remain open source. The proposal specifies license compatibility with existing Curve repositories. This requirement ensures community access and alignment with Curve’s open-source development model.

However, the proposal also addresses Swiss Stake AG’s financial position. Egorov acknowledged that while the firm has developed revenue streams, they remain insufficient for full sustainability. These include Curve Lite deployments and veCRV staking through Convex, StakeDAO, and Yearn.

According to Egorov, all such revenues have been used strictly in line with prior grant objectives. The new grant supports operations while longer-term sustainability models develop. Voting on the proposal remains open through Dec. 22, 2025.

Meanwhile, the proposal outlines a structured CRV allocation to fund development, staffing, and security through 2026. It also reinforces open-source commitments, reporting standards, and DAO oversight. Together, these elements frame Curve’s approach to sustainability-focused governance using token reserves.