Fee Structure
Transparent, competitive fee structure for securities lending on Dualis Finance, with volume-based tiers that reward active participants.
Fee Overview
Securities lending fees on Dualis range from 5 to 20 basis points annualised, paid by the borrower to the lender. This represents a 70–97% reduction compared to traditional prime brokerage fees of 50–200 basis points. The dramatic cost reduction is made possible by eliminating intermediaries, automating settlement through DAML smart contracts, and removing the operational overhead of manual reconciliation.
Fees accrue continuously on a per-second basis throughout the duration of the loan. The accrual is computed using the protocol's interest index, ensuring precision and consistency across all active deals. Accrued fees are settled atomically when the loan terminates.
Fee Distribution
The borrower's fee is split between the lender and the protocol according to the following structure:
| Recipient | Share | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lender | 95% | Compensation for providing the security |
| Protocol Treasury | 5% | Funds protocol development, insurance reserves, and DUAL staking rewards |
Comparison with Traditional Prime Brokers
Traditional securities lending involves multiple intermediaries, each taking a cut of the transaction. The following comparison illustrates the cost advantage of the Dualis model:
| Cost Component | Traditional | Dualis |
|---|---|---|
| Borrower fee (annualised) | 50 – 200 bps | 5 – 20 bps |
| Intermediary take rate | 35 – 50% of gross fee | 5% protocol fee only |
| Settlement costs | Per-trade clearing and custody fees | Included in protocol fee |
| Reconciliation | Manual, daily or weekly | Automatic, real-time on-chain |
| Fail costs (T+2 fails) | Penalty fees + opportunity cost | Zero (atomic settlement) |
| Lender net yield | 50 – 65% of gross fee | 95% of gross fee |
For a lender earning 20 bps on a $100M loan, the traditional model delivers approximately $100K–$130K net after intermediary fees. On Dualis, the same loan delivers $190K net — a 46–90% increase in lender yield.
Volume-Based Fee Tiers
Active participants benefit from volume-based fee discounts. The discount applies to the protocol's 5% share, effectively reducing the total cost for high-volume traders:
| Monthly Volume (USD) | Protocol Fee Share | Effective Discount |
|---|---|---|
| < $10M | 5.0% | None (standard) |
| $10M – $50M | 4.0% | 20% reduction |
| $50M – $250M | 3.0% | 40% reduction |
| $250M – $1B | 2.5% | 50% reduction |
| > $1B | 2.0% | 60% reduction |
Volume is calculated on a rolling 30-day basis across all securities lending activity for a given participant. The tier is evaluated at the start of each deal and locked for the deal's duration.
Fee Settlement
Fees are settled in the denomination currency of the loan (typically USDC or Canton Coin). Settlement occurs atomically alongside the collateral release when the deal closes. For long-duration loans, periodic fee settlements can be configured at weekly or monthly intervals, debited automatically from the borrower's collateral buffer.
All fee calculations, distributions, and settlements are recorded on-chain, providing a complete and auditable trail for regulatory reporting and reconciliation purposes.