Sonic (@SonicLabs): The Complete Guide To Minting, Redeeming & Bridging USSD

The Complete Guide To Minting, Redeeming & Bridging USSD $USSD is Sonic’s native, permissionless USD stablecoin, built to function as a simple onchain dollar across the ecosystem. It is designed to be backed 1:1 by high-quality USD assets, minted through smart contracts, and used as stable liquidity across Sonic. $USSD is part of Sonic’s vertical integration strategy, where yield generated from the backing assets flows back into the ecosystem through $S buybacks, incentives, and broader support for Sonic’s growth. Supported Assets $USSD minting is designed to support common dollar-denominated assets, including stablecoins such as $USDC, $USDT, $PYUSD, and $USDB, along with selected approved treasury-backed USD representations. $USSD can also be redeemed into fiat USD, though that process requires KYC. In this guide, the flow specifically covers minting and redeeming $USSD with $USDC on Sonic. Put $USSD To Work On Metropolis Minted $USSD can be deployed on Metropolis through the 500,000 $S $USSD Bootstrap Campaign, a four-week program built around selected $USSD pools and DLMM Vaults. Full campaign details are available here: How To Mint $USSD Before starting the minting process, you need to create an account on the Frax Dashboard. Step 1: Go To The Official Frax Website https://net.frax.com Click Sign In. Step 2: Sign In With Google Signing in will automatically create your account. Step 3: Add The Destination Address In The Fraxnet UI In the Fraxnet interface, enter the destination address where you want to receive the minted or redeemed asset. You can always add more than 1 address and choose the destination once you are at the minting process. Step 4: Go To The Official $USSD Mint Interface Always use the official route to avoid spoofed apps or fake contracts. https://net.frax.com/dashboard/mint Step 5: Connect Your Wallet If prompted Connect the wallet that holds the asset you want to use for minting (i.e., $USDC on Sonic). Make sure you are on the correct network and that your wallet has enough balance for both the deposit and gas fees. Step 6: Select The Assets, Enter The Amount & Recipient Choose the supported asset you want to deposit, such as $USDC. Select Sonic as the network, and mint into $USSD on Sonic. Note: On the top right, make sure the Branded Stablecoin is toggled on. The interface will show the assets and routes currently available for minting. Enter the amount you want to mint, then choose one of the addresses you have already added in the Fraxnet portal. $USSD is designed to mint at a 1:1 ratio, so if you deposit 10 $USDC, you receive 10 $USSD. Step 7: Approve The Token If this is your first time using that asset in the mint flow, your wallet will ask you to approve the token. This gives the smart contract permission to access the amount required for minting. Approve the transaction in your wallet. Step 8: Confirm The Mint Transaction After approval, confirm the mint transaction itself. Your wallet will prompt you again. Review the details, check the amount, and sign the transaction. Step 9: Receive $USSD Once the transaction is confirmed, the $USSD will appear in your wallet. You can then hold it, use it in Sonic DeFi apps, provide liquidity, or move into other strategies that support $USSD. Note: Frax uses CCTP on Ethereum to mint $USSD. It relies on transaction finality confirmation, which can take around 15 to 20 minutes. How To Redeem $USSD Redeeming is the reverse process. You return $USSD and receive a supported asset back. Step 1: Open The Official Redeem Interface Go to the official $USSD redeem page through Frax’s official links. Do not use random third-party links when redeeming. https://net.frax.com/dashboard/redeem Step 2: Connect The Wallet, Enter The Amount Of $USSD & Select Recipient Connect the wallet where your $USSD is stored. Make sure the wallet is on the right chain and has enough gas for the redemption transaction. Turn on the Branded Stablecoin toggle. Select the supported asset you want to redeem into, such as $USDC. Enter the amount of $USSD you want to redeem, then choose the recipient address. The redemption model is designed to be 1:1, so 1,000 $USSD is intended to redeem into 1,000 worth of the selected supported asset. Step 3: Confirm The Redemption Transaction After approval, sign the redemption transaction. Check the amount, asset, and route carefully before confirming. Step 4: Receive The Redeemed Asset Once the transaction is complete, the selected asset will be sent back to your wallet. At that point, your $USSD has been redeemed and you are back in the supported asset of your choice. Note: Frax uses CCTP on Ethereum to redeem $USSD. It relies on transaction finality confirmation, which can take around 15 to 20 minutes. How To Bridge $USSD If you want to move $USSD from Sonic to another supported network, you can use the bridge flow in the Frax interface to send it to Ethereum, Base, Avalanche, and seven other supported chains. In this example, the bridge flow moves $USSD from Sonic to Base. Step 1: Open The Bridge Page From the left-hand menu in the Frax interface, click Bridge. https://net.frax.com/dashboard/bridge Step 2: Connect Your Wallet & Select The Asset And Source Chain Connect the wallet that holds your $USSD on Sonic. Make sure your wallet is connected to the correct network, hold enough $USSD for the transfer and also have enough $S in the wallet to cover the gas fee. Select the asset $USSD and Source Chain as Sonic. Then enter the amount of $USSD you want to bridge. Step 3: Select Destination Chain, Approve & Review $USSD Bridge Make sure the Branded Stablecoin toggle is turned on before continuing. For example, in this flow, the destination chain is Base. If this is your first time bridging USSD through the interface, you may need to approve the token first. Click Approve $USSD, then confirm the approval transaction in your wallet. Before confirming, review the bridge summary carefully. Step 4: Confirm The Bridge Once everything looks correct, click Bridge and confirm the transaction in your wallet. Step 4: Receive $USSD On The Destination Chain After the transaction is processed, the bridged $USSD will arrive on the destination network. You can then use it there just as you would on Sonic, depending on the apps and liquidity available on that chain. Additional Resources About $USSD: https://www.soniclabs.com/ussd $USSD Blog https://blog.soniclabs.com/ussd-sonics-native-permissionless-usd-stablecoin-built-with-frax/ $USSD Mint/Redeem Dashboard https://net.frax.com/dashboard $USSD Bootstrap Campaign https://x.com/MetropolisDEX/status/2038993595991232940