Balanced DollarsPrice

(BNUSD)

Balanced Dollar (bnUSD) is a decentralized, over-collateralized stablecoin designed to track the value of 1 USD. Unlike centralized stablecoins that rely on bank deposits, bnUSD is backed by a diverse pool of cryptocurrency collateral. This ensures the asset remains decentralized and transparent on-chain. It serves as a core component of the ecosystem, allowing users to mint liquidity against their digital assets across multiple blockchain networks.

The protocol utilizes four primary stability mechanisms: 1. Over-collateralization: Every bnUSD is backed by more than $1 worth of crypto assets. 2. Stability Fund: This allows users to swap bnUSD 1:1 for other major stablecoins. 3. Balanced Savings Rate (BSR): This adjusts demand by paying interest to bnUSD holders who deposit into the savings contract. 4. Liquidations: An automated system that sells collateral if a borrower's position becomes under-collateralized, protecting the system's overall solvency.

Balanced supports a variety of cross-chain assets for minting bnUSD, including ICX, BTC, ETH, SOL, SUI, AVAX, BNB, and INJ. The specific availability depends on the blockchain network being used. Borrowers are typically subject to a 0.2% origination fee and a variable annual interest rate. This allows users to access liquidity without selling their underlying crypto holdings.

bnUSD is a native cross-chain asset available on several networks including ICON, Arbitrum, Avalanche, Base, BNB Chain, Optimism, Polygon, Solana, Stellar, and Sui. Moving bnUSD between these chains is streamlined through an integrated transfer feature that utilizes intent-based technology. This allows for near-instant cross-chain swaps and transfers, removing the need for traditional, complex bridging processes.

In November 2025, the Balanced DAO officially retired its standalone governance model. The protocol transitioned to become a specialized frontend for the SODAX liquidity layer. As part of this evolution, the original BALN token is being replaced. Users holding BALN are required to use the migration tool on the official dashboard to convert their holdings into SODA, the new governance token associated with the updated ecosystem structure.

Balanced employs a 'soft liquidation' mechanism to manage risk. If a borrower's collateral ratio falls below the 85% threshold, the protocol does not seize the entire position. Instead, it only liquidates enough collateral to return the position to a safe ratio. This process includes a small liquidation fee. This method protects the protocol's stability while being more forgiving to borrowers compared to traditional 'hard' liquidation models that close entire positions.