Who Uses Underscore
Understanding Underscore's role as infrastructure for next-generation financial applications
Underscore isn't a consumer app — it's the rails that power the next generation of financial applications. Users experience Underscore through the apps they love, without ever knowing it's there.
Think of Underscore like AWS for DeFi — but fully non-custodial. Just as millions use Netflix without knowing about Amazon's servers, millions will use financial apps powered by Underscore's infrastructure. The key difference: users always maintain control of their funds. The complexity stays under the hood while users enjoy seamless experiences.
Underscore provides two core products: Vaults for AI-managed yield that anyone can access, and User Wallets with Managers, Payees, Cheques, and Whitelists — components developers combine to create powerful financial applications.
The Underscore Ecosystem
Who Builds on Underscore
Fintech Applications
Consumer-facing apps that need DeFi yields
Neobanks offering crypto services
Payment processors requiring automated flows
Apps integrating Vaults for instant AI-managed yield features
Crypto Wallets
Wallets adding advanced DeFi features
Smart wallet providers needing delegation
Multi-signature solutions requiring automation
AI & Automation Platforms
AI agents that manage user portfolios
Automated trading systems
Yield optimization bots
DeFi strategy executors
Enterprise Solutions
B2B payment platforms
Corporate treasury management
DAO financial operations
Institutional DeFi access
How End Users Experience Underscore
Users interact with friendly apps while Underscore handles the complexity:
Earning Yield: "Deposit USDC, earn 8% APY" → Vaults route to optimal protocols automatically
Making Payments: "Send $500 to contractor" → Underscore cheque system ensures safety
Portfolio Management: "AI optimizes my yield" → Underscore manager executes strategies
Asset Swaps: "Trade ETH for USDC" → Underscore finds best rates across DEXs
Borrowing: "Borrow against my ETH" → Underscore Ripe Protocol Lego manages collateral safely
Productive Collateral: "Use my yield shares as collateral" → Vault shares work on Ripe while earning
The user sees a simple interface. Underscore does the heavy lifting.
Case Study: Hightop
Hightop is a mobile app that demonstrates the power of building on Underscore infrastructure. Here's how they leverage different Underscore components to create a seamless user experience:
What Hightop Offers Users
Through an intuitive mobile interface, Hightop users can:
Earn Yield on their assets with one tap
Swap Assets at competitive rates
Borrow against their holdings
AI Private Banker that manages your entire portfolio strategy
Instant Withdrawals to their personal wallets
How Underscore Powers Each Feature
AI Private Banker (The Magic)
Hightop's AI is configured as an Underscore Manager
Currently optimizes yield by rebalancing between Aave, Morpho, Euler, Compound, Fluid
Soon: Will execute complex DeFi strategies, manage debt positions, and capture arbitrage
Operates within user-defined limits (e.g., "Only touch stablecoins", "Keep 20% in ETH")
Adapts strategies based on market conditions and user goals
Like having a Wall Street quant working 24/7 for your personal portfolio
Users wake up to optimized positions and captured opportunities
Yield Generation
Hightop uses Underscore's Lego integrations to access Morpho, Moonwell, Aave, and other yield protocols
Users see "8.5% APY on USDC" — Underscore handles the protocol routing
Their AI Manager automatically rebalances between protocols to optimize yields
Asset Swaps
Leverages Underscore's DEX integrations (Uniswap, Curve, Aerodrome)
Users swap with one tap — Underscore finds optimal routes
No need to approve tokens for each protocol
Borrowing
Utilizes Underscore's debt management Legos, specifically Ripe Protocol
Users see simple "Borrow up to 50% of collateral"
Underscore manages the complex protocol interactions
User Withdrawals
Users' personal wallets are added to Underscore's Whitelist
Enables instant withdrawals with no limits
Provides emergency exit if needed
Maintains non-custodial security
The Hightop User Experience
From the user's perspective:
Download Hightop app
Deposit USDC (soon fiat onramps)
Enable "AI Private Banker" for Yield Auto-Pilot
Watch balance grow
Withdraw anytime
What they never see:
Token approvals for 20+ protocols
Yield protocol comparisons
Slippage calculations
Smart contract interactions
Permission management
Any concept of gas, private keys, or seed phrases
They just earn. The complexity vanishes. That's the power of building on Underscore.
Perfect for Vault Integration
The fastest way to add AI-managed yield to any application:
Why Integrate Vaults
For Fintech Apps
Skip months of infrastructure development. Integrate Vaults directly:
Standard ERC4626 interface — minimal integration work
AI optimization handled entirely by Underscore
Users deposit through your interface, you track shares
No wallet infrastructure needed on your side
For DeFi Protocols
Make collateral productive:
Accept vault shares as collateral
Users earn yield while borrowing
Standard ERC20 compatibility
Vault value trackable on-chain
For Portfolio Managers
Offer managed strategies without building infrastructure:
Earn Vaults for straightforward yield optimization
Leveraged Vaults for amplified returns with managed risk
White-label as your own product
Focus on user acquisition, not infrastructure
Example: Quick Vault Integration
A payment app wants yield on user float:
The vault handles protocol selection, rebalancing, reward claiming, and risk management. The app handles UX.
Perfect for Payment Applications
Underscore's payment infrastructure makes it ideal for the next generation of payment apps:
Cross-Border Remittance Apps
Transform international money transfers with:
Cheques for secure, cancellable transfers with built-in fraud protection
Payees for recurring family remittances with spending limits
Instant settlement through stablecoins while funds earn yield waiting for pickup
Pull payments letting recipients withdraw when exchange rates are favorable
B2B Global Payment Platforms
Revolutionize business payments with:
Automated invoicing through Payees with net-30/60/90 terms
Escrow-like functionality using Cheques with approval workflows
Multi-currency treasuries earning yield between payment cycles
Delegated payment approval via Managers for finance teams
Payroll & Expense Platforms
Modernize employee payments with:
Pull-based salaries where employees withdraw their exact pay
Expense reimbursements with automatic limits and approvals
Contractor payments using cancellable Cheques
Multi-level approval chains through Manager permissions
Why Underscore for Payments?
Programmable money: Set exact rules for every payment relationship
Yield on float: Funds earn DeFi yields until the second they're needed
Fraud prevention: Time-locks, cancellations, and limits protect users
Global instant settlement: No banking hours, no correspondent banks
Regulatory friendly: Clear audit trails and permission systems
Why Developers Choose Underscore
Speed to Market
Ship DeFi features in weeks, not months
One integration gives access to all the top DeFi protocols
Pre-built delegation and payment systems
Production-ready smart contracts from day one
Risk Reduction
Battle-tested security patterns
User funds protected by time-locks and permissions
Clear audit trails for every transaction
No infinite token approvals or honeypot risks
Future-Proof
New protocols automatically available through Legos
No re-integration when protocols update
Built for multi-chain expansion
Community-driven protocol additions
The Future: Invisible Infrastructure
As Underscore grows, it becomes more invisible. Users won't ask "Does this use Underscore?" any more than they ask "Does this use HTTPS?" It will simply be the standard for:
Every fintech offering DeFi yields
Every wallet with advanced features
Every AI agent managing portfolios
Every platform needing payment automation
The best infrastructure disappears into the background, enabling experiences that feel like magic.
Join the Revolution
Ready to build on Underscore or learn more about the future of financial infrastructure?
Connect With Us
Discord Community: Join our developer discussions at discord.gg/Y6PWmndNaC
Follow Updates: Stay informed on Twitter/X @underscore_hq
GitHub: Explore the code at github.com/underscore-finance
Whether you're building the next billion-dollar fintech, optimizing payment flows, or creating AI-powered financial tools, our community is here to help.
Remember: The best technology is invisible. Underscore handles the complexity so developers can build amazing experiences and users can enjoy financial freedom.
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