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Research files · Dollar lending

Ketju research: Usual (USD0 / USD0++)

RejectedPublished by Ketju Research

This file describes the economic claim, control, loss, and exit evidence. Client action and amount belong to the advisor. Not investment, legal, tax, or compliance advice.

Research summary

Our research assessment remains adverse. The original thesis correctly identified mutable redemption terms but overstated several incident facts that the available primary record does not prove, including a January 10 effective date, more than $200M of Morpho borrows and losses to unlevered holders from liquidations. Usual announced on January 9, 2025 that it would replace the unconditional early 1:1 USD0++ exit with a 0.87 USD0 floor plus a 1:1 route that required a USUAL-token contribution. Its January 14 update acknowledged that exit liquidity had been heavily impaired and that residual USD0/USD0++ pool liquidity had remained below $20M after sell-offs and withdrawals. The product later became bUSD0 under UIP-12, but the key issue did not disappear: current governance documentation says the DAO can set the early-exit floor, now 0.92 USD0, and redemption fees. A locked RWA-backed claim whose terms governance can change is not equal to USD0 at par. Direct USD0, USDC or a separately approved savings token offers a clearer exit. Audits cannot make changeable economic terms permanent.

Observable review triggers

  • The live bUSD0 contract enforces one USD0 of net primary redemption value without requiring purchase or burn of another token for 12 consecutive months
  • Every floor, fee, pause, upgrade, maturity and rt-bUSD0 authority is published and reconciles to executed contracts and governance proposals
  • Daily reserve composition and liabilities reconcile to independent attestations for 12 consecutive months
  • Existing holders receive an enforceable notice and par-exit window before any redemption term changes
  • Proposed-size primary redemption and secondary sale each pass the written time and slippage limits during a stressed-liquidity test

Facts on file

Verdict
Rejected
Type
Dollar lending
Chains examined
Ethereum
Reviewed
Last confirmed

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