This article walks you through opening your Usual account and making your first deposit. Usual is a DeFi bank, which means your account belongs to you from day one — this changes how onboarding works compared to a traditional bank. Five minutes, start to finish.
What you need
An account app (see the list below)
Some USDC on Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, or BNB Chain
A small amount of the native gas token (ETH for Ethereum, Arbitrum, or Base; BNB for BNB Chain)
If you already hold USDC in an account app, skip to Step 3.
Step 1 — Create or import an account
With Usual, your account is yours from day one. You — and only you — hold the keys. There is no "forgot password" button. Write down your recovery phrase on paper and treat it like the keys to a real vault.
Recommended account apps:
App | Where it runs | Best for |
MetaMask | Browser extension, mobile | Most popular, wide support |
Rabby | Browser extension | Cleaner interface for on-chain apps |
Rainbow | Mobile | Simple, onboarding-friendly |
Ledger / Trezor | Hardware | Maximum security for larger balances |
If you do not have one yet: install one of the options above, follow the setup flow, and write down your recovery phrase on paper. Never store it as a photo, a cloud note, or inside a password manager.
Step 2 — Fund your account with USDC
You need USDC to deposit into USD0. Three ways to get it:
Buy directly in your account app. Most apps offer a built-in way to buy with a card or bank transfer. Fastest for small amounts.
Transfer from an exchange. Buy USDC on Coinbase, Binance, Kraken, or another platform, then withdraw to your account address. Pay attention to the network — choose Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, or BNB Chain.
Swap from another asset. If you already hold ETH or another token, swap it to USDC.
Make sure you also have a small amount of the native gas token (ETH or BNB) to pay transaction fees. A few dollars is usually enough to get started.
Step 3 — Connect to Usual
Go to app.usual.money
Click Connect
Pick your account app
Approve the connection prompt
Select the network your USDC is on
Your account address now appears in the top right. You are ready to deposit.
Step 4 — Make your first deposit
For a first deposit, we recommend starting with USD0 — the dollar balance.
On the main screen, select Deposit on the USD0 card
Enter the amount of USDC you want to deposit
Approve the USDC spending (one-time approval per token)
Confirm the deposit transaction
Wait for confirmation (usually under a minute)
Your USD0 balance now appears in your account. You can hold it, move it, or send it to a savings product.
Step 5 — What you can do next
Hold USD0 as a stable balance. Your dollars, fully backed, always redeemable.
Move to sUSD0. Open a savings account and earn a real rate tied to US Treasury Bills.
Explore bUSD0. A higher-rate option for users who can lock their balance for a period.
Read the product suite article to see which product fits your goals.
Security checklist
Before your first deposit, verify:
[ ] You are on app.usual.money (check the URL character by character — phishing sites are common)
[ ] Your recovery phrase is written on paper, offline, in a secure place
[ ] You never share your recovery phrase with anyone, including anyone claiming to be Usual support
[ ] You read every transaction in your account app before signing
[ ] You start with a small amount, then scale up once you are comfortable
Note: Usual will never ask you for your recovery phrase. No support agent, no Discord moderator, no email — ever. If anyone asks, it is a scam.
Technical note (for DeFi users): Any EVM wallet with WalletConnect or injected-provider support works (MetaMask, Rabby, Frame, Safe, Ledger, Trezor, Rainbow). Usual is deployed on Ethereum mainnet (primary), Arbitrum, Base, and BNB Chain. USD0 minting is a standard ERC-20 mint call on the Usual contract after USDC approval. See the docs for contract addresses per chain.
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