What is Liquity USD?

Liquity USD (LUSD) is a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar, designed to be used within the Liquity protocol. The protocol allows users to open a Trove, deposit Ethereum (ETH) as collateral, and draw LUSD up to a collateral ratio of 110%. LUSD can be redeemed against the underlying collateral at face value at any time. The Liquity protocol provides users with loans, secured by Ether collateral. To ensure the loans' stability, Liquity has established a Stability Pool with LUSD, where borrowers act as guarantors for any remaining debt.

How does Liquity USD work?

Liquity USD operates within the Liquity protocol, a non-custodial, immutable, and governance-free system. The protocol allows users to access loans that require less collateral than other borrowing systems. Instead of liquidating Ether, users can lock up their Ether and borrow against it to withdraw LUSD, with the option to repay this loan at a later date. The protocol also allows users to use LUSD as collateral when borrowing Ether, which can then be exchanged to acquire more Ether. This process can be repeated multiple times. Users may receive LQTY, another token within the Liquity ecosystem, as compensation for depositing LUSD in the stability pool.

What are the potential use cases for Liquity USD?

Liquity USD serves as a stablecoin within the Liquity protocol, providing a stable value pegged to the US dollar. This makes it a useful tool for users seeking to borrow against their Ether holdings without having to liquidate them. The protocol's loans make it an option for users seeking to leverage their Ether holdings. Additionally, LUSD can be used as collateral for borrowing Ether, which can then be exchanged to acquire more Ether, creating a cyclical process that can be repeated multiple times. Users may receive LQTY tokens as compensation for depositing LUSD in the stability pool, adding another potential use case for LUSD.

What is the history of Liquity USD?

Liquity USD was created as part of the Liquity protocol, a decentralized protocol that provides users with loans, secured by Ether collateral. The protocol was founded by Robert Lauko and Rick Pardoe, both of whom have backgrounds in traditional finance, researching algorithms, network monitoring, and scalability issues. Michael Svoboda, the current CEO at Liquity, was previously CEO and COO at several blockchain companies. The Liquity protocol, and by extension LUSD, was created to develop a decentralized and capital-efficient way to borrow stablecoins. As of the time of writing, the total value locked (TVL) on the protocol was over $642 million.