USD.AI(CHIP)

Overview

USD.AI is a decentralized finance protocol that issues USDai, a synthetic dollar token, alongside sUSDai, its staked yield-bearing counterpart. Deposited capital is directed into loans secured by physical infrastructure, particularly GPUs and AI data-center hardware, with the stated aim of linking on-chain liquidity to real-world equipment financing. The protocol was built by Permian Labs and uses a framework it calls CALIBER to tokenize physical collateral and enforce claims on it.

CHIP is the governance token of the USD.AI ecosystem, distributed in part through a points-based Frontier Program that rewarded early depositors and liquidity providers. Token holders can take part in decisions on protocol parameters, collateral standards, and incentive structures. As with other DeFi assets, CHIP is exposed to risks such as smart contract vulnerabilities, borrower default, and the limited liquidity of the underlying hardware collateral.