# How It Works

## The Mechanism

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### You deposit USDT

You deposit USDT to the bond contract.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Contract takes your USDT

The bond contract receives your USDT and begins the bonding process.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Contract pairs USDT with PRO from treasury

The contract uses PRO from the protocol treasury to pair with your USDT.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### LP token created (USDT/PRO pair)

A liquidity provider (LP) token representing the USDT/PRO pair is minted.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### LP token sent to black hole (permanently locked)

The LP token is sent to a black hole address and permanently locked.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### You receive discounted PRO over vesting period

You receive PRO tokens at a discount, released to you according to the bond's vesting schedule.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## What Happens to Your USDT

Your USDT doesn't sit in a vault. It becomes part of the protocol's permanent liquidity:

1. **Paired** — Combined with PRO to create LP tokens
2. **Locked** — LP sent to black hole address
3. **Permanent** — Cannot be withdrawn by anyone, ever

You're not lending. You're selling your USDT to the protocol permanently.

## What You Receive

In exchange, you get PRO tokens at a discount:

* **Discount:** 75%–100% of market price (depending on period and conditions)
* **Vesting:** Linear release over your bond period
* **Rebase:** Your vesting PRO earns rebase during vesting

## Example

Market price: $100 per PRO\
Bond discount: 85%\
Your cost: $85 per PRO\
You bond: $1,000 USDT\
You receive: \~11.76 PRO (vested over bond period)

Plus rebase earnings during vesting.

## Vesting Schedule

PRO releases linearly:

| Day | Cumulative Release (90-day bond) |
| --- | -------------------------------- |
| 0   | 0%                               |
| 30  | 33%                              |
| 60  | 67%                              |
| 90  | 100%                             |

You can claim released PRO anytime.

## Why the Protocol Wants This

| Protocol Gets             | You Get               |
| ------------------------- | --------------------- |
| Permanent liquidity       | Discounted PRO        |
| Deeper trading pool       | Rebase during vesting |
| No mercenary capital risk | Fixed entry price     |

Win-win: Protocol gains permanent infrastructure, you gain discounted entry.

## Irreversibility

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Bonds cannot be cancelled or reversed.**

Once executed:

* Your USDT is converted to LP
* LP is locked in black hole
* Vesting schedule begins
* No refunds possible

Understand this before bonding.
{% endhint %}

## Comparison: Bond vs Buy

| Factor           | DEX Purchase | Bond        |
| ---------------- | ------------ | ----------- |
| Price            | Market       | Discounted  |
| Access           | Immediate    | Vested      |
| Slippage         | Possible     | None        |
| Protocol benefit | None         | Creates POL |
| Complexity       | Simple       | Moderate    |

## When to Bond

Consider bonding if:

* You have a long time horizon
* Current discount is attractive
* You want to support protocol liquidity
* You can wait for vesting

Consider DEX if:

* You need immediate access
* Discount is minimal
* You prefer simplicity

## Next

* [Bond Types](broken://pages/b545457a5b43b91297c87974c28b98821147c50b)
* [Discount Mechanics](broken://pages/e7a039b4713c920dbdb92b2443791837108c5d1b)


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://cryptodao-it.gitbook.io/c-dao/2.-mechanics/bonds/how-it-works.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
