Briefing

Usual Protocol has launched its innovative DeFi framework, featuring USD0, a fiat-backed stablecoin collateralized by US Treasury Bill tokens, and a governance token, $USUAL, designed to redistribute 90% of protocol revenue back to its community. This strategic move directly addresses the prevailing centralization and inequitable value capture within the stablecoin market, positioning Usual as a foundational primitive for sustainable, user-owned finance. The protocol currently commands a Total Value Locked (TVL) of over $631 million, demonstrating significant early traction and market confidence in its unique economic model.

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Context

The decentralized finance landscape has long grappled with stablecoin designs that, while offering stability, often replicate the centralized value accrual patterns of traditional banking. Existing fiat-backed stablecoins frequently operate with opaque reserves and concentrate economic benefits away from users, creating a product gap for a truly decentralized, transparent, and user-aligned alternative. Furthermore, many DeFi tokenomics models have struggled to establish sustainable value capture mechanisms that genuinely reward long-term participation over speculative short-term gains. This environment necessitated a protocol that could offer both the security of real-world assets and a robust, equitable distribution of generated value.

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Analysis

Usual Protocol fundamentally alters digital ownership models and user incentive structures within DeFi. The introduction of USD0, a stablecoin backed by diversified short-term US Treasury Bills, establishes a bankruptcy-remote and permissionless asset, providing a critical alternative to traditional bank-linked stablecoins. This system ensures full collateralization and includes an insurance fund for systemic risk mitigation. The accompanying $USUAL governance token is intrinsically linked to protocol revenue, with a substantial 90% distributed to the community.

This mechanism creates a powerful flywheel → increased USD0 adoption drives protocol revenue, which in turn enhances the value of $USUAL, aligning the incentives of users, governors, and the protocol’s long-term success. Competing protocols face a challenge in matching this integrated value redistribution model, as Usual cultivates a deeply engaged and economically vested user base. The liquid staking derivative, USD0++, further enhances capital efficiency, allowing users to earn rewards on their RWA-backed stablecoin holdings.

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Parameters

  • Protocol Name → Usual Protocol
  • Core Stablecoin → USD0 (Fiat-backed by US Treasury Bills)
  • Governance Token → $USUAL (90% revenue distribution to community)
  • Liquid Staking Derivative → USD0++ (4-year lock-up with rewards)
  • Current Total Value Locked (TVL) → $631,758,023
  • Yearly Protocol Revenue → $25.46M
  • Staking APY → 15%
  • USD0++ Locking APY → 37%
  • Integrated Projects → +30
  • Supported Chains → 4

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Outlook

The strategic outlook for Usual Protocol involves continuous expansion of its RWA collateral base and further ecosystem integrations. The protocol’s revenue-sharing model establishes a strong competitive moat, making it a compelling target for other dApps seeking to integrate a truly decentralized and yield-bearing stablecoin. This innovation could serve as a foundational building block for a new generation of DeFi applications that prioritize equitable value distribution and transparent, real-world asset backing.

Competitors may attempt to fork the protocol’s technical architecture, but replicating the community-centric value alignment and robust insurance mechanisms will present a significant challenge. The next phase will likely focus on scaling liquidity across more chains and introducing additional yield optimization strategies for USD0 and USD0++.

Usual Protocol’s RWA-backed stablecoin and aggressive revenue-sharing model represent a significant evolution in DeFi, establishing a new standard for user-centric value accrual and challenging the centralized paradigms of existing stablecoin infrastructure.

Signal Acquired from → usual.money

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total value locked

Definition ∞ Total value locked (TVL) is a metric used in decentralized finance to measure the total amount of assets deposited and staked within a particular protocol or decentralized application.

decentralized finance

Definition ∞ Decentralized finance, often abbreviated as DeFi, is a system of financial services built on blockchain technology that operates without central intermediaries.

governance token

Definition ∞ A governance token is a type of digital asset that grants its holders voting rights within a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) or a blockchain protocol.

value redistribution

Definition ∞ Value Redistribution describes mechanisms within a system that alter the distribution of economic gains or assets among participants.

protocol

Definition ∞ A protocol is a set of rules governing data exchange or communication between systems.

fiat-backed

Definition ∞ A fiat-backed digital asset is a cryptocurrency designed to maintain a stable value by being pegged to a specific national currency, such as the US dollar or the Euro.

distribution

Definition ∞ Distribution describes the process by which digital assets or tokens are allocated among participants in a network or market.

liquid staking

Definition ∞ Liquid Staking is a DeFi mechanism that allows users to stake their cryptocurrency holdings while retaining liquidity.

protocol revenue

Definition ∞ Protocol revenue refers to the income generated by a decentralized protocol through its operational activities.

staking

Definition ∞ Staking is a process within certain blockchain networks, particularly those utilizing Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanisms, where participants lock up their digital assets to support network operations and validate transactions.

value distribution

Definition ∞ Value distribution describes how the economic benefits or rewards generated by a digital asset, protocol, or network are allocated among its participants.