# Concepts

## Supplying Assets

When you supply assets into the protocol, you start earning interest instantly. These assets are pooled and made available for others to borrow.

Your deposits also serve as **collateral**, which allows you to borrow other assets if needed.

## Borrowing Assets

You can borrow supported tokens by using your supplied assets as collateral.

Each token has a **Loan-to-Value (LTV)** ratio, which determines how much you can borrow against it.

Example:

If you deposit $1,000 USDC and the LTV is 75%, you can borrow up to $750 of another token.

You can repay any time to reduce interest or unlock more of your collateral.

## Loan-to-Value Ratio

**LTV** is the maximum percentage of your supplied asset’s value that you can borrow.

Different tokens have different LTVs, based on their risk level and volatility.

Example:

* USDC may have 75% LTV → borrow up to $750 worth of asset on a $1,000 USDC deposit
* More volatile assets usually have lower LTVs

## Interest Rates

Interest rates adjust automatically based on supply and demand. When more users are borrowing an asset, the borrow rate increases — and suppliers earn more. When demand is low, rates decrease. As a supplier, you earn interest; as a borrower, you pay it. Rates update in real-time to keep the system balanced.

## Liquidation Threshold

The **Liquidation Threshold** marks the point at which your borrowed position becomes undercollateralized. This is calculated based on a weighted average of the risk parameters of your supplied assets. If your borrow balance exceeds this limit, a portion of your collateral is liquidated to repay part of the debt.

## Liquidation Bonus

When liquidators step in to stabilize undercollateralized positions, they are rewarded with a **3% bonus** on the portion they liquidate. This incentive keeps the protocol secure by encouraging timely interventions when users fall below the liquidation threshold.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.alphafi.xyz/alphalend/introduction/concepts.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
