Borrowing Mechanics

Borrow at 99.5% LTV with Zero Liquidation Risk

Parameters

ParameterValue
CollateralXCEL+ (staked XCEL)
Loan-to-valueUp to 99.5% of floor value
Interest0%
Origination fee0.5% one-time
LiquidationsNone
Collateral lockXCEL cannot be unstaked or sold while borrow is active

No Liquidation Mechanism

The floor price guarantees XCEL can never trade below 1 xlUSD. The 0.5% spread between the 99.5% LTV and the 100% floor is the protocol's buffer.

Collateral is locked for the duration of the borrow — it can't be sold or unstaked until repaid. The reserve never faces simultaneous redemption pressure from both sides.

If a borrower walks away, the protocol retains the locked XCEL and the floor backing remains intact. The locked position continues earning fees.

Borrowed xlUSD Uses

  • Swap externally for USDC
  • Deploy into other protocols
  • Recursive leverage (see below)

Recursive Leverage

The 99.5% LTV enables recursive leveraging:

  1. $1,000 USDC → mint xlUSD → buy XCEL → stake
  2. Borrow 99.5% → buy more XCEL → stake
  3. Repeat

~20x realistic multiplier ($1,000 → ~$20,000 in staked XCEL). Theoretical max is 200x (1 / 0.005).

This works safely because the floor price prevents liquidation cascades. Each leveraged position remains productive — earning yield, fees, and XRT emissions.

Monthly Compounding Example

$1,000/month × 20x leverage = $20,000/month in staked XCEL 12 months = ~$240,000 in staked positions earning protocol revenue.

Fee Distribution

See Fee Structure & Treasury for borrowing fee distribution details.