What Is ethena-usde?

1. What Is ethena-usde?

ethena-usde (commonly referred to as USDe) is a synthetic dollar stablecoin created by Ethena Labs on the Ethereum blockchain. Unlike traditional stablecoins that rely on fiat reserves, USDe is backed by crypto-native mechanisms—most notably delta-neutral hedging using long positions in liquid assets paired with short positions in perpetual futures. This creates a censorship-resistant, on-chain, composable stablecoin that offers both stability and yield within DeFi.

2. Why ethena-usde Was Created

ethena-usde was designed to solve the limitations of conventional stablecoins:

• Avoid reliance on traditional banking and fiat systems that can be centralized or censored
• Create a truly crypto-native form of stable money pegged to the U.S. dollar
• Enable yield-bearing potential through DeFi-native strategies

By addressing centralization issues, USDe aims to provide an innovative and scalable stablecoin alternative.

3. How ethena-usde Works

1. Deposit Collateral: Users or Authorized Participants deposit collateral such as ETH, stETH, USDC, or other liquid staking tokens.
2. Mint USDe: The protocol mints USDe, maintaining stability through delta-neutral hedging that pairs long collateral positions with short perpetual futures.
3. Peg Maintenance: Arbitrageurs help stabilize the $1 peg by minting or redeeming USDe as price deviates.
4. Stake for Yield: Users can stake USDe to receive sUSDe, which accrues value from the protocol’s hedging profits.
5. Redeem Process: Users can redeem sUSDe back into USDe and swap into collateral or stablecoins, subject to redemption windows and limits.

4. Key Features of ethena-usde

• Delta-neutral hedging reduces volatility and maintains stability
• Yield generation through perpetual futures funding arbitrage and staking
• Fully on-chain and composable with DeFi protocols
• Censorship-resistant design independent of banks
• Transparent minting and redeeming processes
• Expanding collateral support including staked assets and top cryptos
• Scalability with a target supply expansion up to $20 billion

5. Who Can Use ethena-usde?

• DeFi users seeking a stablecoin with yield potential
• Arbitrageurs and Authorized Participants maintaining the peg
• Investors looking for passive yield via sUSDe
• Institutions and CeFi platforms integrating stable assets
• Developers building applications requiring stable, composable assets

6. What Is the $USDe Token?

$USDe is the native synthetic dollar stablecoin of Ethena. It is minted against crypto collateral and hedged through derivatives to maintain its peg. Its core utilities include:

• Acting as a stable medium of exchange within DeFi
• Supporting minting, redeeming, and liquidity provision
• Enabling staking into sUSDe to earn yield from the protocol’s strategies
• Serving as the foundation of Ethena’s goal to create scalable, censorship-resistant digital money