Deep Dive
1. Transfer of Labs Assets to DAO (Early 2026)
Overview: A core principle for 2026 is advancing decentralization by transferring assets and intellectual property developed by Usual Labs into the ownership of the Usual DAO (Usual Blog). This includes protocol infrastructure and code built with collective resources. The move aims to cement the DAO as the true owner of the system, with Labs operating under a clear, funded mandate from the community.
What this means: This is bullish for USUAL because it directly strengthens the token's governance rights and aligns the protocol's long-term value with its holders. It reduces centralization risk and reinforces the project's decentralized finance ethos.
2. Clarify Governance & Sunset USUAL STAR (2026)
Overview: The project aims to simplify governance structures, placing authority increasingly with the USUAL token alone. As part of this maturation, the USUAL STAR token—issued to early investors—will move toward its "intended conclusion," with associated rights sunsetting at maturity (Usual Blog). This clarifies the value and governance accrual solely to the main token.
What this means: This is bullish for USUAL because it eliminates a competing claims vehicle, potentially reducing sell pressure and focusing all future value accumulation on the primary governance token. It simplifies the investment thesis for new participants.
3. Expand USUAL Token Utilities (2026)
Overview: Following groundwork laid in late 2025, 2026 is slated for a broader expansion of USUAL token utilities (Usual Blog). Directions being explored include higher yield opportunities, fee reductions, exclusive product access, and enhanced loyalty mechanisms within the ecosystem. This aims to decouple protocol growth from pure emissions-based incentives.
What this means: This is bullish for USUAL because creating more use cases and rewards for holding and staking the token can drive increased demand and reduce circulating supply, addressing one of the key criticisms facing governance tokens.
4. Multi-Currency & FX Infrastructure (Ongoing)
Overview: While the EUR0 stablecoin and its FX rails connecting to USD0 were launched, scaling this multi-currency infrastructure remains a ongoing priority (The Defiant). This involves deepening liquidity pools, improving arbitrage efficiency, and expanding fiat gateway integrations to strengthen Usual's position as an on-chain foreign exchange layer.
What this means: This is neutral to bullish for USUAL because successful expansion into the euro market and cross-currency swaps could significantly increase total protocol revenue. However, execution risk exists, as scaling a new stablecoin requires substantial liquidity and adoption to compete effectively.
Conclusion
Usual's roadmap is strategically shifting from bootstrapping to consolidation, focusing on decentralizing ownership, simplifying governance, and building tangible utility for the USUAL token. The key question is whether these foundational improvements can translate into renewed user adoption and revenue growth in a competitive stablecoin landscape.