The ISO Mechanism Explained

The Initial Stablecoin Offering (ISO) is a novel fundraising mechanism that leverages the stability of stablecoins and the yield-generating potential of reserve assets to create a sustainable funding model for projects.

The ISO mechanism creates a win-win situation where participants hold a stable asset with no downside risk, while the project receives sustainable funding through yield generation.

Core Components

SAGEUSD

A regulated USD-backed stablecoin with 1:1 backing

Reserve Management

Professional management of USD reserves to generate yield

Points Program

Rewards for SAGEUSD holders that convert to $SAGE tokens

Yield Allocation

Allocation of generated yield to fund development

Regulatory Compliance

Operation within regulatory frameworks

Redemption Mechanism

Ability for holders to redeem/trade SAGEUSD at any time

The ISO Flow

1

Stablecoin Creation

SAGEUSD is created as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum, with each token backed 1:1 by USD held in reserve.

1 SAGEUSD = 1 USD in reserve

2

User Acquisition

Users acquire SAGEUSD through various channels:

  • Crypto on-ramps like Moonpay
  • Converting other cryptocurrencies like USDC or ETH via Uniswap
  • Direct purchase through partner platforms
3

Reserve Management

The USD reserves backing SAGEUSD are managed by professional financial experts to generate yield through:

  • US Treasury bills
  • Money market funds
  • Other secure, regulated financial instruments
4

Yield Generation

The managed reserves generate yield, which is collected by the SAGE treasury.

Example: 1B USD in reserves at 3% APY = $30M annual yield

5

Development Funding

The generated yield is used to fund the development of the SAGE ecosystem, including:

  • R&D
  • Team expansion
  • Marketing and community building
  • Legal and regulatory compliance

Reserve Management

The management of USD reserves is a critical component of the ISO mechanism:

The reserves are allocated to various yield-generating instruments to maximize returns while maintaining security and regulatory compliance:

US Treasury Bills40%
Money Market Funds30%
Short-Term Bonds20%
Cash Reserves10%

This allocation is designed to balance yield generation with liquidity needs and risk management.

The split amongst various instruments is subject to change based on market conditions and regulatory requirements.

Yield Allocation

The yield generated from the reserves is allocated to various aspects of the SAGE ecosystem:

Scaling the ISO

As the SAGEUSD market cap grows, the ISO mechanism becomes increasingly powerful:

ISO Scaling Example

Initial SAGEUSD Market Cap:$100M
Annual Yield Rate:3%
Initial Annual Yield:$3M
SAGEUSD Market Cap Growth to:$1B
New Annual Yield:$30M
SAGEUSD Market Cap Growth to:$10B
New Annual Yield:$300M

This scaling mechanism creates a virtuous cycle: as more users adopt SAGEUSD, more funding becomes available for development, which enhances the SAGE ecosystem, attracting more users, and so on.

Ready to learn more about the benefits of the ISO? Check out ISO benefits documentation.