> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.usd8.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.usd8.ai/products/mint-and-redeem.md).

# Mint & Redeem

1:1 minting against USDC with zero protocol fee, and cooldown-protected redemptions back to stablecoins.

The mint vault is the front door of the protocol: stablecoins in, USD8 out — and back again.

## Minting

* **Collateral:** the vault accepts a whitelist of high-quality stablecoins. Native **USDC** on HyperEVM is currently supported; the whitelist can be extended by governance.
* **Rate:** 1:1 — one dollar of collateral mints one USD8, with **zero protocol mint fee**.
* **Oracle protection:** the vault prices collateral against an oracle and always rounds in the protocol's favour (mints use the *lower* of the oracle price and $1). Around the peg this is exactly 1:1; it simply means the vault can never be minted against depegged collateral at par.
* **Permissionless:** there is no user whitelist or sign-up — any wallet can mint.

{% hint style="info" %}
USD8 has 18 decimals; USDC has 6. The vault handles the conversion — you always think in dollars.
{% endhint %}

## Redeeming

Redemptions convert USD8 back to the underlying stablecoin through a **request → cooldown → claim** flow:

```mermaid
sequenceDiagram
    participant U as You
    participant V as Mint Vault
    U->>V: Request redemption (USD8 escrowed)
    Note over U,V: T+7 day cooldown — cancellable anytime
    U->>V: Claim
    V->>U: USDC delivered, USD8 burned
```

1. **Request** — your USD8 is escrowed by the vault and the countdown starts (T+7 days by default).
2. **Wait or cancel** — the request can be cancelled anytime before claim; your USD8 returns instantly.
3. **Claim** — after the cooldown, claim your stablecoins. The escrowed USD8 is burned at that moment.

The cooldown gives the reserve manager a predictable window to make redemption liquidity available from professionally managed reserves — it is what lets the protocol hold high-quality, longer-duration assets without ever selling into a bad market to meet a surprise redemption. See [Reserves](/transparency/reserves.md).

{% hint style="warning" %}
Redemption requests are queued per wallet. Your escrowed USD8 is never at risk during the cooldown — it either becomes stablecoins at claim, or comes straight back if you cancel.
{% endhint %}

## Safety rails

The vault carries several protective mechanisms, all verifiable on-chain:

| Mechanism           | What it does                                                                                                                                 |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Guardian pause      | An independent guardian can pause deposits and redemption requests instantly in an emergency. Resuming requires governance.                  |
| Peg circuit breaker | If the collateral oracle deviates materially from $1, *anyone* can trigger an automatic pause of mint and redeem — no privileged key needed. |
| Configurable limits | Per-transaction and daily mint/redeem limits can be set by governance as an additional brake.                                                |
| Favourable rounding | All conversions round in the protocol's favour, so the vault can never leak value through rounding.                                          |