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SpendTheBits

Earn · 4 min read

How to read an Earn vault before you deposit

Short answer

To read an Earn vault before you deposit, open the Earn tab, tap the vault, and check four things on its row: who runs it (the curator), how much notice that curator must give before changing the rules, how much of its money is liquid right now, and any warning shown under the safety score. The score and the rate come second. Yield is variable and no rate shown is a promise, because a vault is a smart contract run by a third party.

Some vaults are run by a curator, a company that chooses where the money is lent. The row names that company when the vault publishes it. A curator who can change fees or pause withdrawals with no waiting period is a real risk, so the app shows that as a warning on the vault and again at the review step.

Liquidity matters on the way out. If most of a vault's money is lent to borrowers at the moment you ask, a large withdrawal may have to wait for repayments. Your deposit is still yours, but you cannot always leave in one step.

Check a vault

  1. 1

    Open Earn and tap the vault you are considering.

    Vaults that are not offered to your account do not appear. If a vault on another chain is missing from your list, it is not available to you yet.

  2. 2

    Find who runs the vault and its notice period.

    A notice period of zero means the curator can act with no warning. The app flags that.

  3. 3

    Read the liquidity line and any warning under the safety score.

    Low liquidity, a paused vault, or a vault being wound down is called out in plain words.

  4. 4

    Enter an amount and read the review step before you sign.

    The same warnings repeat there, together with the fees and the risk note: this is not a bank deposit and is not covered by deposit insurance.

  5. 5

    If the app says the vault is not taking deposits, accept the alternative it offers or pick another vault.

    A paused, deprecated or closed vault refuses new deposits. The app suggests the best vault you can use instead, and you choose whether to switch.

Good to know

  • If a vault you already hold turns low on liquidity, paused or deprecated, you get a notification that says what changed and what it means for your money.
  • Leaving a vault can involve two different fees. One is a small share of the yield you earned, collected only at withdrawal. The other is a small service fee on the amount you withdraw, under 1%. The review step shows each one before you sign, and the Fees screen lists the current figures.
  • Network gas and a curator's own vault fee are not STB fees. Gas goes to the network, and the vault fee is taken by the vault.

Frequently asked

The company or team that decides where a vault lends the money and sets its rules. You are trusting that party and the vault contract, not a bank.

A paused vault can. A vault with thin liquidity can also make a large withdrawal wait. The app warns you before you deposit and notifies you if a vault you hold changes state.

Some vaults are shown only once they pass extra checks, such as a non-zero notice period. If your account does not list a vault, the app does not offer it to you.

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