> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://whitepaper.usegpu.app/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://whitepaper.usegpu.app/introduction/the-core-idea.md). # The Core Idea Explore the economic thesis behind building yield and participation before committing capital to physical GPU infrastructure. USE-GPU begins with a simple thesis: build the yield first, build the community second, and build the hardware third. A GPU without users creates cost before demand exists. USE-GPU therefore does not begin by acquiring hardware and then seeking utilization. It begins with trading activity, creator fees, and a mining system that establishes economic participation. ### Yield before hardware Trading activity produces the creator fee. The creator fee funds mining rewards and accumulates treasury. The treasury is then intended to support GPU acquisition as the project progresses. ``` Trading activity ↓ Creator fee ↓ Mining rewards + treasury growth ↓ Future GPU acquisition ↓ Future rental and compute services ``` In Phase 1, the yield comes from trading activity, not GPUs. GPUs are not yet operational. Later GPU rental and inference revenue may contribute to the mining pool, but they are future components of the model. This order matters. Hardware expansion follows demonstrated economic activity rather than preceding it. ### Three principles #### Yield before hardware The project builds the economic base first. The mining mechanism and community develop before the treasury targets physical GPU infrastructure. #### Transparency over promise USE-GPU separates what exists from what is planned. Phase 1 has fee-funded mining and no GPUs. Later phases describe GPU acquisition, external operators, and an inference API. The model is intended to make the fee flow and treasury allocation visible. #### Renounce as commitment The source describes an admin renounce in Phase 2. This is a future commitment, not a current state. It is intended to make the transition to the next phase a concrete protocol commitment. The model does not assume that hardware itself creates an ecosystem. It treats sustained participation and treasury formation as the basis for later infrastructure. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## 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, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://whitepaper.usegpu.app/introduction/the-core-idea.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. 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.