The Standard Review: Should You Use It During Its Sunset?

The Standard was a collateralized debt position (CDP) protocol on Arbitrum. It let users create Smart Vaults, deposit supported crypto collateral and borrow USDs. The advertised borrowing rate was 0%, with a minimum collateral ratio of 110%; falling below the required ratio could put collateral at risk of liquidation.

The protocol also promoted yield on collateral through Uniswap V3 liquidity pools. It described vaults as able to rebalance and compound returns, and said users could borrow while collateral remained deployed. Vault positions were represented by dynamic NFTs, which the project said could be transferred or sold.

Those were the advertised features, not a reason to treat the service as available now. The Standard has announced a decision to sunset the protocol. If you already have a vault, check its current state and the project's official wind-down instructions before making assumptions about borrowing, trading, transfers or withdrawals.

The Standard advertised 0% interest on USDs borrowing, but that did not make using a vault free. Arbitrum transactions can require network gas, and depositing collateral, borrowing, adjusting a vault or withdrawing may involve separate transactions. The project also described collateral yield as coming from Uniswap V3 trading fees, which can vary and are not guaranteed.

The strategy brings market risks as well as possible returns. Uniswap V3 liquidity positions can suffer impermanent loss, and volatile collateral values can reduce a vault's collateral ratio. The Standard's 110% minimum was a maintenance threshold, not a wide safety buffer; a sharp price move could raise liquidation risk.

The Standard does not publish a complete fee schedule in the details available about its product, so do not assume there were no protocol charges. With a sunset announced, the key cost question for an existing user is whether any actions needed to manage or close a vault remain available and what transactions they require. Verify current terms before signing transactions.

The Standard described its Smart Vaults as non-custodial: users controlled the private keys used to manage vaults. That reduces reliance on a company holding assets for you, but it does not remove smart-contract risk. A contract bug, oracle problem, liquidation or disrupted liquidity could still affect funds. A vault NFT also represented control over both the collateral and its associated debt, so transferring it required care.

Two audits are listed for the protocol. The project also promoted a large number of independent auditors and a bug bounty, but those claims should not be treated as proof that every contract is safe or that every risk was covered. The licensing status, a detailed incident history and a published wind-down or user-protection plan are not established here.

Most importantly, The Standard has announced plans to sunset. A protocol winding down can create practical risks even when users control their keys, especially if the app or supporting services change. Do not deposit new funds. Existing users should rely on current official communications and inspect each transaction before signing.

The Standard was built for Arbitrum and advertised collateral strategies using Uniswap V3. The homepage named TST as its governance and utility token, alongside USDs and EUROs. It also described a wallet-connected Smart Vault controlled by the user's private key. The product was therefore aimed at users comfortable managing DeFi positions and signing on-chain transactions, rather than people seeking a conventional bank-style loan.

The project presented returns as dynamic and warned that yield could change; it also mentioned impermanent loss. Those disclosures matter because pool performance and collateral prices can change while a vault is open. Neither the advertised strategy nor historical yield should be read as a promise of returns.

Since the protocol has announced a sunset, do not rely on old instructions or assume the app still supports normal operations. Before connecting a wallet, confirm that current official communications identify the correct app and describe what actions remain supported. Never share a seed phrase or sign an unfamiliar transaction to access a vault.

The sunset announcement is the main reason to choose something else for a new position. The protocol's former 0% borrowing rate and yield features do not answer whether vault creation, repayment, collateral withdrawals or support remain available during the wind-down. The available shutdown details do not establish a complete timetable or user-by-user exit process, so existing users should not infer one.

Other important decision details are also unclear: a comprehensive fee schedule, licensing status and current arrangements for USDs and EUROs are not published here. The protocol's listed audits offer some security information, but they cannot guarantee safety or make a sunset risk-free. Its advertised 110% collateral threshold also left users exposed to liquidation if collateral values fell far enough.

If you are assessing an existing position, first verify the vault and its debt directly through a trusted wallet interface, then follow current official instructions. If you cannot confirm what a proposed transaction does, do not sign it; seek help through verified project channels or an independent DeFi professional.