Hedging Investment: Four Low-Risk Stablecoin Yield Strategies During Turbulent Times

In April 2025, the global financial markets experienced severe fluctuations due to Trump's tariff policy. He announced the implementation of "reciprocal tariffs" on major trading partners, setting a baseline tariff of 10% and imposing higher rates on specific countries. These policies triggered a strong market response, with the S&P 500 losing $5.8 trillion in market value in just four days, marking the largest weekly loss since the 1950s. Bitcoin prices fluctuated between $80,000 and $90,000.

Federal Reserve Chairman Powell stated that tariffs could raise inflation and suppress growth, but the Fed will not intervene in the market by cutting interest rates, focusing policy on long-term data. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan have raised the probability of a U.S. recession to 20% and 45%, respectively. In this uncertain market environment, how should investors respond? This article will introduce four low-risk yield products based on stablecoins for reference.

Note: This article is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice. Investors should conduct their own research and bear the risks.

1. Spark Saving USDC (Ethereum)

Operation method: Connect wallet through Spark platform, select Savings USDC product, deposit USDC.

Source of Income: The earnings from saving USDC come from the Sky savings interest rate (SSR), generated by cryptocurrency mortgage loan fees, investments in U.S. Treasury bonds, and providing liquidity to platforms like SparkLend. USDC is exchanged for USDS at a 1:1 rate through the Sky PSM and deposited into the SSR vault to earn returns, with the value of sUSDC tokens increasing as earnings accumulate.

Risk assessment: Low. USDC has high stability, and Spark has undergone multiple audits to reduce smart contract risks. However, attention should be paid to the potential impact of market volatility on liquidity.

2. Berachain BYUSD|HONEY (Berachain)

How to operate: Visit the Berachain official website, enter BeraHub, connect a compatible wallet, select the BYUSD/HONEY pool on the Pools page, and deposit the two tokens to provide liquidity. After obtaining LP tokens, they can be staked in the rewards vault to earn BGT.

Source of income: mainly from BGT rewards ( 3.41% APR ) and pool transaction fees ( 0.01% APR ). BGT is the non-transferable governance token of Berachain, which can be burned 1:1 for BERA and shares the fee income from core dApps.

Risk assessment: Low to moderate. BYUSD and HONEY are stablecoins, with low price fluctuation risk; Berachain's PoL mechanism has been audited, and the smart contract risk is relatively low. However, BGT rewards may fluctuate due to emission adjustments.

3. Uniswap V4 USDC-USDT0 Liquidity Provision

Operation method: Connect your wallet through the Merkl platform and deposit USDC or USDT into the "Provide Liquidity to Uniswap V4 USDC-USDT0" product.

Source of income: UNI token incentives.

Risk Assessment: Low to Medium. The USDC/USDT pool is a stablecoin pair, with low price volatility risk, but it is important to be aware of smart contract risks and the potential decline in returns after the incentive period ends.

4. Echelon Market USDC (Aptos)

How to operate: Visit the Echelon Market official website, connect an Aptos-compatible wallet, select the USDC pool on the Markets page, and deposit USDC to participate in supply.

Source of income: includes USDC supply interest (5.35%) and Thala's thAPT rewards (3.66%). thAPT is Thala's deposit certificate, minted and redeemed at a 1:1 ratio for APT.

Risk Assessment: Low to Moderate. USDC has high stability, but attention should be paid to the smart contract risks within the Aptos ecosystem and the impact of thAPT redemption fees on returns.

Summary

The following table is arranged in descending order by TVL, for reference only:

| Product | Chain | APY | TVL | |------|-----|-----|-----| | Spark Saving USDC | Ethereum | 4.27% | 1.385 billion dollars | | Berachain BYUSD|HONEY | Berachain | 3.42% | 454 million | | Uniswap V4 USDC-USDT0 | Ethereum | 14.18% | 174 million USD | | Echelon Market USDC | Aptos | 9.01% | 13.2 million dollars |

In the context of increasing market uncertainty, these low-risk yield products based on stablecoin may provide investors with a relatively safe haven. However, investors still need to carefully assess risks and make informed choices based on their own situations.