How USB Works
USB (Universal Stable Bottling? / Stabolut Stable) is a synthetic dollar protocol built on Ethereum. It provides a crypto-native solution for money that is not reliant on traditional banking infrastructure.
The Mechanism
USB maintains its $1 peg through a delta-neutral hedging strategy.
- Minting: When a user deposits $1 worth of collateral (e.g., stETH), the protocol mints 1 USB.
- Hedging: Simultaneously, the protocol opens a corresponding short position of $1 value in the derivatives market (e.g., ETH-PERP).
- Stability:
- If ETH price drops by 10%, the collateral loses value, but the short position gains an equivalent amount.
- If ETH price rises by 10%, the collateral gains value, but the short position loses an equivalent amount.
- The net value of the backing portfolio remains stable at $1, securing the USB peg.
Yield Generation
Unlike fiat-backed stablecoins where yield is captured by the issuer, USB passes yield to the ecosystem:
- Staking Rewards: From the underlying LST collateral (e.g., stETH).
- Funding Rates: From the short futures positions (historically positive).
This combination creates the "Internet Bond" — a native dollar-denominated savings instrument.