# Welcome to Ion Protocol

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**Ion Protocol Tip:** If you want to skip to the fun and read the docs later, head right over to  [ionprotocol.io ](https://ionprotocol.io/)
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## Welcome!

Ion Protocol is a price-agnostic lending platform built to support staked and restaked assets. It allows users to participate in lending markets of all kinds, ranging from leveraged staking yields to points multiplier pools and more. Ion focuses on bringing staking-based mechanisms to DeFi, creating an enhanced lending and borrowing experience for users to earn more while risking less.

In Ion's first phase of its launch, it will specifically be focusing on supporting isolated markets that enable stakers to lend LSTs to enhance their staking yield while rest. At the same time, restakers can borrow with their LRTs to multiply their EigenLayer and LRT returns.&#x20;

* **Lenders** will earn the highest ETH on ETH returns available without leverage!
* **Borrowers** can multiply their exposure to ongoing points and incentives campaigns and future restaking yield, while keeping their ETH upside!

If there is any additional info you'd like us to clarify or can't find within the documentation, join the Discord community [here](https://discord.com/invite/CjQqUgPA6Y) and drop a question!

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## Why Use Ion?

### **You Want to Increase Your Restaking Rewards**

Borrowers in Ion Protocol can boost their points exposure by up to 10x+. By utilizing Ion's out-of-the-box earn strategies, users can leverage flash loans to maximize their exposure to restaking, without any concerns about oracle pricing risk.

*This is the simplest and most secure method for borrowers to maximize their restaking rewards.*

### You're Early to Restaking

In addition to increased restaking-related points currently, borrowers will lock-in their position to be first in line to multiply their restaking yield as long as they can maintain their borrow position once AVSs are live and LRTs begin generating a return.

*Ion Protocol will be the premiere platform to scale restaking and optimize risk-adjusted boosted restaking yields.*

<figure><img src="/files/3M0ThfFgMCHnGhfQKQfQ" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### **You're a Lender Who Wants to Earn ETH Yield**

Ion Protocol prioritizes properly compensating lenders for supplying markets with lender-side liquidity in the form of LSTs. Since our markets are isolated, lenders can select the desired risk profile of the market they supply. This makes it possible for them to earn staking returns + yield paid by borrowers + any additional incentives with zero exposure to risks from other collateral assets.&#x20;

*We cater to lenders, the lifeblood of a lending protocol - providing them with the most sustainable ETH-denominated yield for lenders' liquidity in the market.*&#x20;

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## Ion's Core Architecture - Making It All Possible

All loan positions in Ion are price-agnostic, and their parameters (interest rates, LTVs, position health, etc.) are determined by consensus layer data and secured with ZK data systems.

* This means liquidations are triggered by consensus layer state changes, not price oracles. &#x20;
* This verifiable [Proof-of-Reserve](/borrowing/borrowing-mechanisms/zk-proof-of-reserve.md) system is enabled by a network of oracles and our [ZKML](/lending/lending-mechanisms/zkml-supported-risk-underwriting.md) (zero-knowledge machine learning) framework, which allows trustless verification of consensus layer state and validator credit ratings. &#x20;

Users in Ion can deposit any combination of the following [collateral types](/supported-collateral/lsts.md) into the protocol's markets once it expands past LRTs.

1. LSTs
2. LST LP Positions
3. Bespoke Re-staking Positions
4. Fixed Rate Positions (e.g. Pendle's PT Tokens)
5. Staked LST LP Positions (e.g. Aura Finance’s ERC-4626 positions)
6. LST Index Products (e.g. IndexCoop’s dsETH, UnshETH, and more)

## Getting Started

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[Understanding the Staking and Restaking Ecosystem](/overview/understanding-the-staking-and-restaking-ecosystem.md)
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{% content-ref url="/pages/7MiQ8AJ8lVxeDfdvxWds" %}
[How Ion Works](/ion-protocol/how-ion-works.md)
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[FAQ](/overview/faq.md)
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