What Is Compound USD Coin (cUSDC)?

The cUSDC token is a record of USDC digital dollars that are added on the Compound protocol. Compound is an Ethereum blockchain protocol that creates pools of assets with algorithmically calculated yield rates based on asset supply and demand. Asset suppliers (and borrowers) use the protocol directly, earning (and paying) a floating yield rate without having to negotiate with a peer or counterparty.

Each asset managed by the compound protocol is integrated by the cToken contract, an EIP20 compliant representation of the balance delivered to the protocol. EIP-20 is an Ethereum token standard that allows the implementation of a specified API (application programming interface) for tokens within smart contracts.

The cUSDC is a type of cToken. A cToken is the essential means of interacting with Compound protocols. If users want to mint, redeem, borrow, or transfer a cToken, they need to use the cToken contract. By creating a cToken, users can use it as collateral and earn rewards through the cToken exchange rate, which is highly valued for the underlying asset. The cToken is used as collateral for other liquidity pools or exchanged for other crypto assets. Traditional consumer finance does not include such transactions. The reward is within the asset cUSDC and not to the asset owner.

When users add USDC, they receive the corresponding cUSDC token. Anyone holding a cUSDC or other cToken earns a prevailing market yield rate. Gains are not sent to lendors but are expressed at the cTokens exchange rate. For example, over time, each cToken can be converted into an increasing amount of its underlying asset, USDC. The number of cTokens in the wallet remains the same. The cUSDC can be traded in the same way as any other digital asset. 

History of CompoundUSD Coin (cUSDC)

Compound Finance, the organization behind Compound protocol, was founded in August 2017 by Geoffrey Hayes and Robert Leshner.