FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Amish Protocol.
General
What is Amish?
Amish is a cross-chain, intent-based lending protocol. Borrowers and lenders express their terms as signed messages (intents), and the protocol matches compatible pairs. Unlike pool-based lending, there is no shared liquidity pool - each loan is a direct match between specific counterparties.
How is Amish different from Aave or Compound?
Pool-based protocols like Aave and Compound require lenders to deposit into shared pools. Borrowers draw from these pools. Pools must maintain withdrawal liquidity, so a portion of deposited capital remains unborrowed at any given time.
Amish eliminates pools entirely. Capital commits only when a match forms, achieving 100% utilization on matched positions. Users set their own rates rather than accepting algorithmic curves.
What chains does Amish support?
Amish operates on EVM-compatible chains where storage proof infrastructure exists and the protocol deploys. Cross-chain loans between supported chains work without bridges.
Borrowing
How do I borrow on Amish?
Create an intent specifying your collateral, desired principal, max APR, min LTV, and duration
Sign the intent with your wallet
Wait for the matching engine to find a compatible lender
Once matched, deposit collateral and receive principal
What can I use as collateral?
Any ERC-20 token can potentially serve as collateral if a willing counterparty exists and pricing is available (via oracle or HDP-derived computation). Liquid, established tokens are more likely to find matches.
What happens if I cannot repay?
If you fail to repay before loan expiration, you default. All your collateral is seized. There is no grace period. Plan repayments well in advance.
Can I extend my loan?
No. Loan duration is fixed at creation. If you need more time, repay your existing loan and create a new one.
What if my collateral value drops?
If collateral value drops and your health factor falls below the liquidation threshold, your position can be liquidated. The liquidation threshold is set per loan based on the agreed terms. Liquidators repay your debt and seize collateral plus a bonus. To avoid this, add collateral to maintain a healthy position.
Lending
How do I lend on Amish?
Create an intent specifying what you offer to lend, accepted collateral, min APR, max LTV, and duration
Sign the intent with your wallet
Wait for the matching engine to find a compatible borrower
Once matched and collateral is verified, transfer principal and receive debt tokens
What are debt tokens?
Debt tokens are ERC-20 tokens representing your claim on loan repayment. When the borrower repays, you redeem debt tokens for principal plus interest. Debt tokens are transferable - you can sell them for immediate liquidity.
What happens if the borrower defaults?
If the borrower fails to repay, their collateral is seized and sold. You receive the proceeds via your debt tokens. Depending on collateral value and market conditions, you may receive more or less than your original principal.
Can I withdraw my capital before the loan ends?
Not directly - capital is committed for the loan duration. However, debt tokens are transferable. You can sell them to another party for immediate liquidity. The buyer receives the future repayment.
Cross-chain
How do cross-chain loans work?
Collateral stays on its native chain. Principal stays on its chain. The protocol uses storage proofs - cryptographic evidence that collateral exists - to coordinate across chains without bridges.
Example: You post ETH collateral on Ethereum and receive USDC on Arbitrum. The ETH never leaves Ethereum. A storage proof verifies it exists. The lender on Arbitrum trusts the proof and transfers USDC.
Is bridging required?
No. Amish does not use bridges. Collateral and principal stay on their native chains. This eliminates bridge risk entirely.
How long do cross-chain loans take?
Longer than same-chain loans due to finality requirements and proof generation. Settlement time depends on source chain finality.
Rates and terms
Who sets the interest rate?
You do. Borrowers specify maximum rates they will pay. Lenders specify minimum rates they require. When ranges overlap, the protocol computes an effective rate. No algorithmic curve dictates your terms.
Are rates fixed or variable?
Fixed by default. Once your loan matches, the rate is locked for the loan duration. Variable interest rate strategies are available as optional intent parameters for assets where rate responsiveness is appropriate.
What LTV can I get?
Depends on the market and your counterparty. Borrowers specify minimum LTV; lenders specify maximum LTV. Match happens where ranges overlap.
What durations are available?
Duration is specified in seconds in your intent. When a match occurs, the loan uses the counterparty's specified duration. Specify a duration you are comfortable with.
Risks
What risks should I understand?
Borrowers: Liquidation risk (if collateral drops), interest cost, no extensions
Lenders: Default risk (borrower may not repay), liquidation shortfall (proceeds may be less than owed), collateral volatility
Everyone: Smart contract risk, price feed risk, cross-chain timing risk
See Security Model for protocol security architecture.
Is my collateral safe?
Your collateral is held in smart contracts, not by any third party. It cannot be accessed except through protocol rules (your withdrawal after repayment, or liquidation if you fail to maintain health). No bridge can steal it because bridges are not used.
What if there is a security incident?
The protocol includes pause functionality. The owner can pause all operations, halting deposits, withdrawals, issuance, liquidations, and redemptions. User positions are protected by immutable loan terms - even the owner cannot change your loan's APR or seize your collateral arbitrarily. See Security Model for details.
Technical
What wallets work with Amish?
Any wallet supporting EIP-712 signed messages - MetaMask, Rainbow, Coinbase Wallet, and most modern wallets.
Do I need to approve tokens?
Yes. You approve the AmishHub contract once for each token type. After that, all market operations work without additional approvals.
What are epochs?
Epochs are batching periods for protocol operations. Transfers, state changes, and liquidations are grouped into epochs with Merkle roots committed on-chain. This enables efficient, verifiable batch processing.
Where can I find contract addresses?
Contract addresses are deterministic via CREATE2. The same market has the same address across all chains where it is deployed.
Getting help
Where can I get support?
Documentation: This GitBook
Community: X (@amishxyz)
Code: GitHub
How do I report a security issue?
For security vulnerabilities, contact the team through responsible disclosure channels. Do not post security issues publicly.
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