# Welcome to the GARD Protocol! This is the official system guide of the GARD Protocol. It is currently in an incomplete stage and will be updated over the coming weeks as more products, features, and UI updates are pushed. If you'd like to provide feedback please connect with the [team](/community/team) or [contact](/community/contact) us in one of our groups to provide feedback. # Video Walkthrough Linked is a video walkthrough of how to use the GARD Protocol. {% embed url="" %} Comprehensive Tutorial by JT Invests in You {% endembed %} Learn how to leverage the GARD Protocol's [dApp](https://www.gard.money) to take the plunge into Algorand DeFi. GARD is an overcollateralized and decentralized money that allows Algorand DeFi participants to earn sustainable yields, leverage ALGOs and ALGO derivatives, and participate in Algorand governance to maximize yield. **Timestamps:** * [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=0s) Intro * [01:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=71s) Logging on w/ MyAlgo wallet * [03:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=180s) Logging on w/ Pera Wallet desktop * [03:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=212s) Logging on w/ Pera wallet mobile browser * [04:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=272s) Opening a CDP and minting GARD w/ ALGO * [08:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=480s) Opening a CDP and minting GARD w/ gALGO * [09:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=582s) Swapping between GARD and ALGO * [10:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=633s) Staking GARD * [12:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=733s) Algorand Governance * [14:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=875s) Auctions/Being a Liquidator * [15:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=936s) Managing your Account * [16:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=987s) Liquidity Pools * [17:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=1048s) Pact DEX LPs * [19:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=1143s) HumbleSwap LPs * [20:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=1226s) Committing LPs to Governance * [22:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=1325s) Unwinding/Closing out Positions * [25:34](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=1534s) Recap * [26:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1nzF6uzwNY\&t=1584s) Final Thoughts # Get GARD An outline of the different ways to get GARD via the GARD Protocol's WebApp. In order to take advantage of the opportunities to earn rewards via the GARD Protocol, a user must first get GARD. The two main ways of getting GARD will be to swap ALGOs natively on the platform via the "Actions" tab or by borrowing GARD via the borrow tab. GARD may also be be acquired off of the platform via DEXs, trading, or other means. # Borrow GARD ### Step 1: How to Supply Assets Supplying assets into smart-contract accounts connected to the protocol is the lifeblood of GARD. In order for GARD to come into existence, there must first be ample collateral behind it to ensure that it remains over-collateralized and that there is incentive for the community to keep the value of GARD pegged to 1 USD. To supply ALGOs or gALGOs a user starts by going to the "borrow" page and entering how much of whichever asset the wish to deposit. Once a user has decided how much collateral they'd like to supply they will see how much GARD they'll be eligible to borrow and must borrow at least one GARD to begin as demonstrated below:

Once you have clicked "supply" you will be prompted to sign a number of transactions. Once complete, you now have a smart contract account enrolled in the GARD Protocol that you can use to leverage the assets you deposit in it to borrow GARD. If you have deposited ALGOs, you may also use these ALGOs to participate in Algorand's governance mechanism by checking here:

If you're interested in using your CDP to participate in governance click [here](https://docs.algogard.com/how-to/get-gard/www.link.com) to learn more about the different ways you can commit. ### Step 2: How to borrow GARD The amount of GARD a user may borrow is determined by the value of the assets that they've deposited into one of their vaults. The maximum amount they can borrow will be displayed here

In order for new GARD to be minted, a user must have at least 140% of the value of the GARD they'd like to mint present in their vault. This means that when minting GARD, a user can borrow 71.4% of the value of their assets deposited as collateral. A user must simply enter in how much GARD they'd like to borrow up to the maximum amount and then click

as shown above. **Note:** most users do not borrow the maximum amount of GARD possible. Users should pay particular attention to the

and ensure that they never borrow GARD that puts them at a liquidation price higher than the lowest they believe that their collateral may fall to. For example, if a user's liquidation price is $.15 and they believe their collateral may fall to $.12 per unit, they should lower their liquidation price by borrow less GARD or supplying more collateral. Once a user has borrowed GARD, they must ensure that the value of the GARD they must repay to the protocol does not exceed 115% the value of their collateral. Over time as a user accrues [interest](https://docs.algogard.com/how-to/get-gard/www.interest.com) the amount of GARD they owe will increase while the value of their collateral may increase or decrease. As a result of this it's encouraged that users over-collateralize their assets adequately and monitor their vaults' health as displayed below:

As long as the value of the collateral in one's vault remains above 115% of the GARD minted a user doesn't need to worry about losing their collateral or being [liquidated](/how-to/liquidate-get-liquidated) to protect the value of GARD and the protocol. # Buy GARD If a user wishes to gain the benefits of the GARD token without opening a CDP and borrowing it they may buy GARD natively on the platform... To acquire GARD without borrowing it, a user may exchange ALGOs for it natively on the protocol. In order to purchase GARD a user must click on

and then exchange ALGOs for GARD. Users may also swap their GARD back to ALGO if they'd like to leverage their position via looping. As we are using Pact.fi for our swap backend, to learn more about swapping, visit the following [link](https://docs.pact.fi/pact/how-to/swaps).

# Withdraw Supplied Assets This page describes how a user can withdraw the assets that they've deposited in their vaults. Once all GARD minted and accrued as interest has been repaid a user may withdraw their collateral. If the user never borrowed any GARD they will not have to pay anything besides ALGO network fees to remove their assets from their vault. To withdraw one's assets a user must navigate to the borrow tab. Next they will have to click on "Manage Position" as shown:

Once managing one's position the user can click "close position" to receive whatever collateral that they had vaulted.

# Partially Repay Borrowed GARD Users can pay back their borrows with interest. If a user wishes to withdraw their collateral they must first return the GARD they have borrowed plus any interest that they may have accrued. If for whatever reason a user wishes to repay the borrowed amount over time or simply to lower the liquidation threshold of their collateral they may do so at any time utilizing our new partial repayment option. To repay their borrowed GARD a user must go to the "borrow tab" and then click on "Manage Position."

Once on the management tab, a user can enter in how much of their loan they'd like to repay under "repay position" or repay the position in its entirety and close out the position by clicking "repay position." If a user doesn't have ample GARD they may either swap for more GARD as described [here](/how-to/get-gard/buy-gard) or mint more from a separate CDP as outlined [here](/how-to/get-gard/borrow-gard).

# Liquidate/Get Liquidated A user can be liquidated when their borrow value has exceeded their max borrow or take advantage of the misfortune of other users when they are liquidated... Liquidation is a vital defense mechanism for the GARD Protocol. While it is not the desired outcome for any of its users, it's a necessary process that may deter users from under-collateralizing their positions as well as restoring balance to the protocol if the value of their collateral plus interest accrued becomes to high in respect to the collateral they provided. If the value of GARD borrowed plus accrued interest becomes worth more than 115% of the collateral deposited in a user's vault, this will trigger a liquidation. Upon liquidation, a user will lose claim to any collateral deposited in their vault, however, they will not lose whatever GARD they may have minted if it has not been spent. Liquidations are a vital part of the protocol to maintain the promise that GARD is stable, overcollateralized, and valuable thanks to it being backed by intrinsically valuable collateral. There are two ways that liquidations may take place, the system has been designed to be the most fair to all potential protocol users and not just those that are tech-savvy or with deep pockets. The first line of “defense” will be a staking pool where users will be able to stake their GARD, earn whatever staking rewards are promised by no-lock staking (explained below), and buy up any positions that are liquidated distributed evenly by users’ stake in the pool at a 7.5% discount. These liquidated assets will be automatically swapped back to GARD (if possible) and the added GARD will essentially be an extra APY to these stakers. If the staking pool runs out of GARD, or for whatever reason doesn’t have enough GARD to successfully liquidate a position, then the liquidated position will be auctioned off. This auction process is a Dutch Auction system similar to that of MakerDAO that will sell the collateral through the Auctions page of the protocol for GARD, ensuring there is always enough collateral locked in the system for the GARD in circulation because the discount on the collateral will facilitate an arbitrage opportunity for the right user. These two processes will be outlined in the following pages: # Get Liquidated The below describes how to best avoid being liquidated and what happens if you are liquidated... The GARD Protocol is designed to help users gain a moderate amount of leverage on their collateral. The protocol is not meant to be a catalyst for liquidations, however, sometimes they must occur to protect the protocol. In order to avoid liquidation users should be sure to overcollateralize their positions heavily and monitor them frequently to ensure that their CDPs remain healthy/in good standing. The 140% minimum collateralization ratio when initially borrowing GARD is meant to help ensure that no immediate volatility will be enough to liquidate a user, however, crypto is quite volatile and this minimum rate may not be enough to protect a user over time. If a user is liquidated they will lose claim to all their collateral and their ability to participate in Algorand governance, however, they will retain any GARD they borrowed and have not spent. To avoid liquidation users should pay close attention to the health bars next to their CDPs, which includes a liquidation price:

# Pooled Liquidations (not live) Pooled liquidations described... The GARD Protocol is designed to give all users a fair opportunity to benefit from everything occurring on the platform. The first line of “defense” for liquidations is a staking pool where users will be able to stake their GARD, earn whatever staking rewards are promised to users staking, and buy up any positions that are liquidated immediately. Assuming that the total value of all GARD in the liquidation pool is worth more than whatever position is being liquidated the GARD will be used to purchase the collateral held in the liquidated CDP at a 7.5% discount. Once purchased, the collateral will be immediately swapped back to GARD and deposited back into the staking pool. These rewards will distributed immediately as a bonus APR and done so evenly based on each users’ stake in the pool. To participate in pooled liquidations see the image below: If there is not enough GARD in the pool to successfully liquidate a position it will instead be sent to the "Auctions" tab of the protocol and sold via Dutch Auction as described on the next page: # Dutch Auctions GARD auctions page described... If the staking pool designated for liquidating runs out of GARD, or for whatever reason doesn’t have enough GARD to successfully liquidate a position, then the liquidated position will be auctioned off. This auction process is a Dutch Auction system similar to that of MakerDAO that will sell the collateral through the Auctions page of the protocol for GARD, ensuring there is always enough collateral locked in the system for the GARD in circulation because the discount on the collateral will facilitate an arbitrage opportunity for the right user.

# Maintain the GARD Peg Maintaining the GARD peg is both important for the GARD community but may also be lucrative to those who do so... At this point in time, GARD is designed to be a stable and decentralized store of value that has been hard pegged to one USD programatically. While the collateral that backs up each GARD token will always exceed one USD and the GARD Protocol is currently designed to always treat GARD as one USD natively, it does not always trade at this value on Algorand's DEXs. In a high liquidity and high velocity environment, GARD will naturally drift above its one USD peg. This phenomena should happen given that each dollar of GARD borrowed is able to "unlock" over one dollar worth of collateral to those who have borrowed it and because GARD has utility in that it can be staked natively to earn protocol revenues. As the value drifts up, this process will incentivize both current and new users to mint more GARD via the protocol and exchange it to bring the price back down. In a lower liquidity environment, the value of GARD will fluctuate more and could be trading above or below one USD more frequently. In a situation where GARD is trading below one USD those who have borrowed GARD are incentivized to repay the GARD that they've borrowed because they would be doing so at a discount. It may also be advantageous for users who haven't borrowed any GARD to buy it up at a discount and stake it natively, exchange it on other platforms and take advantage of their products, or for users to buy it and wait for the price of GARD to return back to one USD. Use caution when maintaining the GARD peg. # Staking The GARD Protocol is the leading Algorand staking provider

The GARD Protocol is proud to offer staking contracts for both its users and partner projects to take advantage of. Staking is an integral piece of how the protocol incentivizes its users and we've built it deliberately to make the best contracts on-chain. We have continuously been innovating for Algorand and what makes our staking contracts so unique is their auto-compounding nature. These contracts allow for seamless Algorand staking with little user oversight thanks to the elimination of daily compounding done by the end user and potential to miss out on rewards if they forget to do so. Users who hold certain tokens can accrue rewards by doing specific tasks that benefit the protocol as well as by committing the tokens that they've already earned. Staking was introduced on the protocol to allow users who own GARD to earn a "savings rate" via accruing a portion of protocol revenues, however, once this pool was launched the Algorand community saw the potential for us to collaborate with other projects. Other Algorand staking solutions have caused many of our community members to chase down their rewards as well as compound rewards on their own whereas our pools auto-compound rewards and allow users to "set and forget." Staking is just one of the ways for GARD Protocol users to take advantage of its features, for more information about protocol incentives click [here](https://www.algogard.com/incentives/incentive-program.html). **Staking video tutorial linked below:** {% embed url="" %} Tutorial Begins on Staking {% endembed %} # GARD Earn a share of protocol revenues!

Staking GARD is analogous to putting your funds into a checking account. When a user's funds are staked via the WebApp they accrue interest (every single block on-chain) based on several factors. These factors are how much total GARD has been borrowed at any particular moment, how much GARD is currently staked, how much the protocol is charging users to borrow GARD, and if there are any additional incentives added in by the protocol. By default, users earn 80% of the protocol's revenues which predominately come from GARD that is borrowed. In the following examples we will assume there are no liquidations happening (these boost protocol revenues) and that the cost to borrow GARD is 2%. If all GARD that is borrowed is immediately staked then users should expect to earn 1.6% APR. However, if half of the GARD that is borrowed is staked then users staking will earn an APR of 3.2%. If only a quarter of the GARD that is borrowed is staked then users can earn 6.4% APR! What's important to note is that all GARD paid out is both system revenue and overcollateralized. Currently, a large portion of borrowed GARD is staked, however, we have received a grant from the Algorand Foundation which enables us to pay out extra rewards to users who stake GARD. As the Algorand DeFi ecosystem develops and there are more places to use one's GARD then less GARD should be staked natively (hypothetically). When fewer GARD are staked, this allows the APR staked GARD earns to increase. The greater the network effects of GARD, the more utility the token will have. To stake/unstake GARD is simple, follow these steps: 1. Type in the amount of GARD desired to stake 2. Press "stake," review any transactions that your wallet asks you to sign, and then sign them 3. To unstake, repeat the above steps substituting the "unstake" button # GARDIAN Stake GARDIAN to earn ownership of the GARD Protocol!

As noted in the [GARD Protocol Tokens](/support/gard-protocol-tokens) section, GARDIAN is a loyalty token that rewards users who add value to the protocol. To learn more about GARDIAN please click the preceeding link. In the past, the GARD Protocol has partnered with a number of other Algorand projects to raise awareness for GARD, however, the protocol has finally launched its own staking pools and decided it was time to bring users home. To stake, follow the following steps: * Type in the amount of GARDIAN desired to stake * Press "stake," review any transactions that your wallet asks you to sign, and then sign them * To unstake, repeat the above steps substituting the "unstake" button # Algorand Partner Tokens Algorand staking partnerships (coming soon)! The GARD Protocol will be partnering with other protocols (beginning in February) to help bring different Algorand communities together. If you'd like to parter with the protocol reach out to them at your convenience. # Participate in Algorand Governance via GARD Protocol The benefits of participating in Algorand Governance via the GARD Protocol and how to... The GARD Protocol is the best way to participate in Algorand Governance. No matter the time in a governance cycle and no matter the reason, a user will be able to retrieve THEIR ALGOs. With other solutions, a user’s ALGOs will be lumped in with everyone else’s and they will have no way to get them until the end of the period. They’ll be forced to trade out of other assets they receive in return for their ALGOs. During this conversion process users of other liquid governance protocols may find themselves taking a steep mark down on their assets. This is particularly concerning given that with other platforms, a user won’t be able to cast their own votes in Algorand Governance or participate in Consensus. ### Video: How to Participate in Governance via the GARD Protocol {% embed url="" %} To participate in governance via the GARD Protocol is quite simple. A user must first open a collateralized debt position (CDP) and borrow at least one GARD. For more information on opening a CDP please go to the "[Borrow GARD](/how-to/get-gard/borrow-gard)" tab.

Next a user will be able to commit all the ALGOs locked in their CDP to governance as long as they try to during a normal governance enrollment period. Users can check the box when supplying ALGOs to their CDP that enables them to simultaneously commit their ALGOs to governance when they create their CDP. They may also wait for their CDP to be created and then go to the "ALGO Governance" tab to commit their CDP positions to governance directly.

To ensure that a user's CDP has been committed to governance a user may click on the "governor page" button to view their enrollment on the Algorand Foundation's website. It's important to note that GARD's CDPs are totally in the custody by the user that opened them and that once a user has deposited their ALGOs in a CDP they still own them, control them, and must vote during the specified voting period with their ALGOs to remain eligible for governance rewards. To vote in governance a user must go to the "ALGO Governance" tab and then vote on the appropriate measures. # Risks Using the GARD Protocol is not without risk. Users who interact with the GARD Protocol are not without risk. It is important for users to be aware of all risks before using the protocol. 1. **Smart contract failure** - Despite undergoing a full [audit](broken://pages/lIdcJvYaPvP6Ezd5I5nR) and rigorous internal quality assurance, there is a chance of smart contract failure. 2. **Liquidity Risk** - Users who fail to maintain their collateral must be liquidated, these processes must run smoothly in order to protect the protocol. 3. **Oracle Risk** - There is the risk that the oracles used by the GARD Protocol provide incorrect or stale data that leads to an exploit of its smart contracts. For more information, please read the [terms of service](https://www.algogard.com/app-terms-of-use.html) and [privacy policy](https://algogard.com/app-privacy-policy.html). # GARD Protocol Tokens A comprehensive list with descriptions of all tokens currently associated with the GARD Protocol. ## Tokens used as collateral: ### ALGO The Algo is the native token of the Algorand blockchain, and is one of the most versatile tokens in crypto and derives its value from its role in securing the Algorand blockchain. Given the immense value of Algorand's network and technology ALGOs are intrinsically valuable and the obvious choice for a valuable asset that may be used to back GARD. ### gALGO gALGO (Governance ALGO) is a wrapped version of ALGO, minted by Folks Finance and that allows users to participate in Algorand Foundation Governance while maintaining a substantial degree of liquidity. In other words, it is the Folks Finance Algorand Governance token and it is minted, at a one-to-one rate with the committed original ALGO in the Folks Finance platform. Therefore, users who minted gALGO during any relevant Governance commitment period are eligible to participate in the Algorand Foundation Governance and any Folks Finance proposals related to it. Users can use their gALGO freely in the ecosystem: for example as collateral on Folks Finance, to interact with DEXs, to purchase NFTs, and so on. While gALGO is not the same as a regular ALGO and is not used in securing the Algorand network, it is valuable in that it is redeemable for ALGO and a very strong Algorand derivative. ## Tokens native to the GARD Protocol: ### GARD GARD is decentralized money that is backed by intrinsically valuable i.e. useful assets. Its initial purpose was to allow a sort of liquid governance solution for Algorand governors and as a store of value for those who received it. In other words those who sought to gain leverage with it would be able to go out and redeem GARD as they chose while those who accepted it knew the promise that GARD would always be backed by at least USD $1 of collateral in ALGOs. Now GARD is meant to be all that and more and may not always be pegged to $1 but rather another asset that is a better store of value/more stable in the future. ### GARDIAN GARDIAN is a loyalty token designed to reward active participants in the GARD Protocol with ownership from day one. GARDIAN token is a loyalty/voucher ASA that will be later redeemable for the GAIN token on April 15, 2025. There will be a total of 1,000,000,000 GARDIAN tokens minted that will be equivalent and later convertible to 5% of the total GAIN token supply (100,000,000 tokens). These tokens will be distributed by our protocol and other ecosystem partners to promote the growth of the GARD Protocol and broader Algorand community while making a commitment to decentralizing our protocol from day one. If more GARDIAN are minted in the future to fulfill the same purpose, they will be redeemable for GAIN at the same ratio. Also, if our protocol decides to discontinue the incentive program all tokens will be burned. ### GAIN GAIN is the token that governs the GARD Protocol. Those who hold GAIN will be able to vote on changes to the GARD protocol, vote on the fees that GARD users are charged, vote on and enact the protocol’s monetary policy in regard to staking, vote on where to source pricing data from, vote on assets to add as collateral, and vote on the organization that will protect/further develop the protocol. GAIN will be decentralized so the DAO can make the best decisions for its future without founder interference. See the DAO section for more details, including technical functionality and initial votes. GAIN will allow users which have participated in the governance process to receive rewards from participation in protocol governance, which would entitle them to a portion of the TVL of GARD claimed as protocol fees locked in the Treasury. Users which have fulfilled certain participation thresholds (e.g. voting turn-out, proposal submission) are able to extract the rewards they are entitled to by exchanging their tokens with the Treasury and the Treasury will send the token holder the GARD earned. GAIN tokens in the Treasury are out of circulation; there is no way for GAIN tokens to leave the Treasury smart contract account (unless governance votes otherwise). # Definitions Directory of terms in the GARD Protocol ## General Definitions ### Address This is your wallet's public address. It is composed of a bunch of alphanumeric characters and it is derived from your private key. Imagine it is like your IBAN where you can receive cryptocurrencies. ### APR *Annual Percentage Rate* is the rate of interest applied on an amount per year. APR tells you how much interest you’ll receive at the end of the year. In terms of loans, APR will tell you how much interest accrues to the amount you borrowed over a year. ### APY *Annual Percentage Yield* is the actual rate of return earned on an investment, considering the compound interest. ### ASA The Algorand protocol supports the creation of on-chain assets that benefit from the same security, compatibility, speed and ease of use as ALGO. The official name for these assets on the Algorand blockchain is Algorand Standard Assets (ASA). Algorand Standard Assets can represent stablecoins, loyalty points, system credits, and in-game points just to name a few examples. ASAs can also represent single, unique assets like a deed for a house, collectable items, unique parts on a supply chain, etc. There is also optional functionality to place transfer restrictions on an asset that help support securities, compliance, and certification use cases. *Learn more about ASAs* [*here*](https://developer.algorand.org/docs/get-details/asa/)*.* ### Collateral The user must lock all or part of a deposited asset to obtain a loan. The collateral committed to obtaining the loan will be locked in a smart contract. ### dApp A dApp is a decentralized application whose code runs on a peer-to-peer network like blockchains instead of centralized servers. ### Opt-in All of the tokens supported by the Folks Finance protocol are ASAs ([Algorand Standard Assets](https://www.algorand.com/technology#ALGORAND-STANDARD-ASSETS)). Thus, the opt-in operation is required before acquiring them. The Opt-in procedure has to be performed once per token if the asset has not previously been held in the wallet. Folks Finance will warn users if the opt-in procedure has not been performed, and support them through the opt-in process. Once all of the requirements are fulfilled, users are ready to interact with the protocol. ### CDP Collateralized Debt Position: Smart contract accounts that can be used to mint GARD in the GARD Protocol via collateral in ALGO. ### ALGO The Algo is the native token of the Algorand blockchain, and is one of the most versatile tokens in crypto. ### GARD: GARD is decentralized money that is backed by intrinsically valuable i.e. useful assets. Its initial purpose was to allow a sort of liquid governance solution for Algorand governors and as a store of value for those who received it. In other words those who sought to gain leverage with it would be able to go out and redeem GARD as they chose while those who accepted it knew the promise that GARD would always be backed by at least USD $1 of collateral in ALGOs. Now GARD is meant to be all that and more and may not always be pegged to $1 but rather another asset that is a better store of value/more stable in the future. ### GARDIAN GARDIAN is a loyalty token designed to reward active participants in the GARD Protocol with ownership from day one. GARDIAN token is a loyalty/voucher ASA that will be later redeemable for the GAIN token on April 15, 2025. There will be a total of 1,000,000,000 GARDIAN tokens minted that will be equivalent and later convertible to 5% of the total GAIN token supply (100,000,000 tokens). These tokens will be distributed by our protocol and other ecosystem partners to promote the growth of the GARD Protocol and broader Algorand community while making a commitment to decentralizing our protocol from day one. If more GARDIAN are minted in the future to fulfill the same purpose, they will be redeemable for GAIN at the same ratio. Also, if our protocol decides to discontinue the incentive program all tokens will be burned. ### GAIN GAIN is the token that governs the GARD Protocol. Those who hold GAIN will be able to vote on changes to the GARD protocol, vote on the fees that GARD users are charged, vote on and enact the protocol’s monetary policy in regard to staking, vote on where to source pricing data from, vote on assets to add as collateral, and vote on the organization that will protect/further develop the protocol. GAIN will be decentralized so the DAO can make the best decisions for its future without founder interference. See the DAO section for more details, including technical functionality and initial votes. GAIN will allow users which have participated in the governance process to receive rewards from participation in protocol governance, which would entitle them to a portion of the TVL of GARD claimed as protocol fees locked in the Treasury. Users which have fulfilled certain participation thresholds (e.g. voting turn-out, proposal submission) are able to extract the rewards they are entitled to by exchanging their tokens with the Treasury and the Treasury will send the token holder the GARD earned. GAIN tokens in the Treasury are out of circulation; there is no way for GAIN tokens to leave the Treasury smart contract account (unless governance votes otherwise). ### ALGO Derivatives: The team behind the GARD Protocol believes that ALGO has intrinsic value. This intrinsic value is derived from the sheer utility of the Algorand token that is promised to holders of ALGOs. This is why GARD has value and this is why the team will work to incorporate gALGO, vALGO, wALGO, cALGO, and other wrapped ALGOs as collateral. ### gALGO gALGO (Governance ALGO) is a wrapped version of ALGO, minted by Folks Finance and that allows users to participate in Algorand Foundation Governance while maintaining a substantial degree of liquidity. In other words, it is the Folks Finance Algorand Governance token and it is minted, at a one-to-one rate with the committed original ALGO in the Folks Finance platform. Therefore, users who minted gALGO during any relevant Governance commitment period are eligible to participate in the Algorand Foundation Governance and any Folks Finance proposals related to it. Users can use their gALGO freely in the ecosystem: for example as collateral on Folks Finance, to interact with DEXs, to purchase NFTs, and so on. ### Wrapped Assets: The team believes that wrapped assets will also play a role in expanding GARD’s footprint in due time. ### Additional Future Assets: The GARD DAO composed of GAIN token holders will be able to vote on future assets to be added as collateral to borrow GARD against. ### ## **HOME PAGE DEFINITIONS** ### **Total Value Locked** The total value, denominated in USD, of all assets held in the GARD Protocol’s smart contracts**.** ### **Total GARD Borrowed** The total value of GARD that has been borrowed against the valuable assets deposited in the protocol’s non-custodial smart contracts denominated in USD. ### Staking APY The current yearly return expected to be earned via no-lock staking given the current participation and reward rate and is subject to change. ### **Number of Users** The number of protocol users is defined as the number of unique Algorand accounts currently borrowing or staking GARD. ### **GARD Intrinsic Value** The amount of collateral denominated in USD per GARD borrowed. ### GARD Borrow APY The amount of interest a user should expect to pay (in GARD) over a year of keeping a borrow position open. ### GARD Governors Number of unique addresses that have committed to governance via GARD Protocol. ### GARD Governance APY Expected return of users who commit to governance via the GARD Protocol. ## SWAP PAGE DEFINITIONS ### Price Impact Your swap will cause a change in the relative price of the assets found in this pool. The more value you wish to swap, the higher the price impact will be. ### Exchange Rate The units of asset A required to exchange for one unit of asset B. ### Liquidity Fee The fee charged by the pool to execute your swap. ### Slippage Tolerance The difference between the expected price paid and the actual price paid to exchange assets. If the difference exceeds this rate the trade will not go through. ### Fee Rate The fee charged by the pool is represented as a percent of the value exchanged. ### Minimum Received The minimum amount of the asset you receive that you’re swapping into. This value is a function of your slippage tolerance, price impact, and other trades potentially happening simultaneously. ## POOL PAGE DEFINITIONS ### Exchange Rate The units of asset A required to exchange for one unit of asset B. ### Fees Received The percentage of each transaction you will receive relative to your share of the pool. ### Current Liquidity Tokens How many tokens representing ownership of the assets in the pool are currently outstanding. ### New Liquidity Tokens How many liquidity tokens will be outstanding from the pool after you provide liquidity. ### Current Pool Share Your share in the ownership of the pool as reflected by liquidity tokens currently held in your connected Algorand account. ### New Pool Share Your share in the ownership of the pool after you deposit your assets. ## STAKING PAGE DEFINITIONS ### Liquidity Amount Total value locked in staking pool. ### Type Asset staked and assets received**.** ### Duration How long you must leave your assets in the pool before being able to withdraw them. ### APY Annual percentage yield i.e. the compounded expected returns of your staked assets given the current liquidity amount and incentives available to stakers. ### Stake Amount How much you are committing to staking. ### Your Stake How much you have currently staked. ### Rewards / Day How much of each ASA you are expected to earn per day given the current reward rates. ### Unclaimed How much of the boosted rewards you have not yet claimed from participating in staking. ## BORROW PAGE DEFINITIONS ### Total Supplied (Asset) The amount of the asset you have supplied so far. ### Total Supplied ($) The total value in USD of the assets you’ve supplied. ### Collateral Factor The maximum amount of GARD you can borrow as a function of the value of the collateral you have supplied. (this number should be 100/140 or \~ 71.4% for ALGO and may vary for other assets) ### Borrow Utilization How much of your maximum borrow you’ve used up so far. ### Liquidation Price The price of the asset you’ve supplied at which you will be liquidated given the current amount of GARD you’ve borrowed. ### GARD Borrow APR The cost to borrow GARD each year denominated in GARD. ### Bonus Supply Rewards At some points in time the GARD Protocol will supply bonus rewards to users who are supplying assets to be used as collateral. ### ALGO Governance APR The current APR ALGO governors will receive for participating in governance through the GARD protocol. ## # Affiliate Program Refer a Friend & Earn - GARD Protocol Revenue Sharing

**Official Program Details** Learn more about the official program details [here](https://www.algogard.com/news/gard-affiliate-referral-program.html). **How To Become A Referrer** If you are interested in becoming a referral partner and getting your own custom link please reach out to the GRAD Protocol team through [Discord](https://discord.gg/y6rTK5S22a), [Telegram](https://t.me/AlgoGARD), or by writing . See [Official Program Details](https://www.algogard.com/news/gard-affiliate-referral-program.html) for more information. **Tracking Your Referrals** Once you have received your referral link you're good to go! When users start leveraging the GARD Protocol's [dApp](https://www.gard.money) through your unique referral link you will be able to track conversions simply by connecting the Algorand Account address we've associated with your referral link to the GARD [dApp](https://www.gard.money). Once you have your wallet connected, navigate to the "Account" page, and click on the "View Referrals" button located at the bottom:

Referral button at the bottom of the "Account" page.

Once clicked, you will be on a page that allows you to track your referrals in realtime! (note: if a new user comes to the GARD dApp through your unique link but doesn't deposit any collateral, you will see a new referral but no GARD minted, etc. like below).

Referral page - track referrals in realtime on the GARD dApp.

**Strategies** Once users have been activated with custom referral links, the potential to earn is limitless. There are various tactics our most successful referral partners have at their disposal including but not limited to: * **Content Creation**: Users who write content or even leverage AI writing engines like CopyAI can create content that fills the void of keyword arbitrage in the Algorand universe. Building content that answers frequently asked questions about Algorand governance, DeFi composability, the latest governance measures, or even how to participate in DeFi governance through protocols like GARD can greatly benefit referral partners who include their unique referral links as call to actions. * **Governance Enrollment**: Governance enrollment is a special time where many people are moving their ALGOs and ALGO derivatives around in an effort to respond to previous governance measures and to maximize their yield. Capturing attention during this time (typically \~2 weeks) and helping to educate AlgoFam on the opportunities at their fingertips can be a compelling reason for new users to take advantage of your unique referral link. * **Community Engagement**: If you see a user on Twitter, Reddit, Discord, or elsewhere in the Algorand community asking for help now's the perfect time to shine! Take pride in helping new users get started or navigate their DeFi journey. After helping to answer some hard questions, simply drop your unique referral link and let them know about the benefits of taking the plunge into Algorand DeFi on GARD with your unique link. At the time of writing this, we are offering 5 GARD for the referring party and 5 GARD for the referred party coming to our platform for the first time through a unique referral link. See [Official Program Details](https://www.algogard.com/news/gard-affiliate-referral-program.html) for the most up to date information about the different incentives currently being offered. * **Benefits of GARD**: There are many benefits to using GARD that we could use your help educating the AlgoFam community on, including: * Receive a **liquid asset**, GARD, without selling your ALGOs or forfeiting your potential governance rewards. GARD may then be used freely in the ecosystem. DeFi strategies can achieve significant additional returns. * **Extra DeFi rewards** so you will receive a higher APR than if you were to participate in regular governance. * Borrow against ALGOs (committed) to governance or ALGO derivatives like gALGO. * **Audited** and running safely for 3+ quarters * Compatibility with **Ledger and Fireblocks**. # Team Gard Team Core Members * **Rylie Rueda (CEO)** * Twitter: @RylieRueda * Telegram: @RylieRueda * Discord: duckduckgoose#2851 * LinkedIn:
* **Ryan Socia (COO)** * Twitter: @RyanMSoscia * Telegram: @rsoscia * Discord: RS#4874 * LinkedIn:
* **David McCabe (Tech Lead)** * Twitter: @OneAlgorandDev * Discord: DavidM#4468 * LinkedIn:
* **Eliana Troper (Senior Software Engineer)** * Discord: Eliana#5555
* **Flynn Shannon (Software Engineer)** * Discord: flynnshannon#9371 * LinkedIn:
* **Esmeralda Yenigun** **(Software Engineer)** * Twitter: @gardian\_es * Discord: ezzie#0859 * LinkedIn: # Contact Reach out with questions or feedback * [Twitter](https://twitter.com/algogard) * [Discord](https://algogard.com/discord.html) * [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/AlgoGARD) * [Telegram](https://t.me/AlgoGARD) * [Medium](https://medium.com/@algogard) * [Website](https://algogard.com/) * [Web Application](https://www.gard.money) * Email: \ \
# Privacy Policy GARD Protocol's Privacy Policy # Terms & Conditions GARD Protocol's Terms & Conditions # Disclaimer Disclaimer for the GARD Protocol. GARD Protocol is a decentralized peer-to-peer protocol that allows users to lend, borrow, and trade Algorand and Algorand Standard Assets. There is only one version of the GARD Protocol and it is a free, public, open-source or source-available software. \ \ The GARD Protocol consists of a set of smart contracts that are deployed on the Algorand Blockchain. Using the GARD Protocol involves various risks, including, but not limited to, losses from smart contract failure or under-collateralization of the protocol. Before using the GARD Protocol, please review all documentation and achieve firm understanding of how the protocol operates. AS DESCRIBED IN THE GARD PROTOCOL LICENSES, THE GARD PROTOCOL IS PROVIDED "AS IS", AT YOUR OWN RISK, AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND. You acknowledge, understand and agree that you are not eligible to participate in the distribution of GAIN or GARD, or utilize GARD Protocol if you are a citizen, national, resident (tax or otherwise), domiciliary and/or green card holder of a geographic area or country (i) where it is likely that GAIN or GARD, or GARD Protocol would be construed as the sale of a security (howsoever named), financial service or investment product or where participation in token distributions is prohibited by applicable law, decree, regulation, treaty, or administrative act (including without limitation the United States of America, Canada, and the People's Republic of China), and (ii) that is subject to U.S. or other applicable sanctions or embargoes (including without limitation Cuba, North Korea, Timor-Leste, Cambodia, Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Tanzania, Pakistan, Russia, Serbia, Tunisia, Uganda, Mali, Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Ghana, Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, the Republic of Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Malawi, Montenegro, Mozambique, Madagascar, Crimea, Kyrgyzstan, Haiti, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Burundi, South Sudan, Sudan (north), Sudan (Darfur), Nicaragua, Vanuatu, the Republic of North Macedonia, the Lebanese Republic, Bahamas, Kosovo, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Liberia, Libya, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Belarus, Bolivia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela).