> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://elysia.gitbook.io/elusd/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://elysia.gitbook.io/elusd/el-point-and-referral/ways-to-earn.md).

# Ways to Earn

EL Points are earned through three main activities:

* Staking ELUSD (holding sELUSD)
* Holding ELUSD in a wallet
* Referral rewards

#### 3.1 ELUSD Staking (sELUSD)

Users who stake ELUSD and receive sELUSD earn EL Points in proportion to the amount of sELUSD they hold.

* Point formula

  `Daily EL Points = sELUSD balance at snapshot × 1`
* Example

  Holding 1,000 sELUSD → 1,000 EL Points per day, 30,000 EL Points over 30 days
* Characteristics
  * sELUSD receives the protocol’s yield (e.g., 18% APY) in a more stable, predictable way.
  * In exchange, the EL Point earning rate is set lower than for ELUSD holding.

#### 3.2 ELUSD Holding

Users who keep ELUSD in their wallet without staking also earn EL Points, based on the amount of ELUSD held.

* Point formula

  `Daily EL Points = ELUSD balance at snapshot × 10`
* Example

  Holding 1,000 ELUSD → 10,000 EL Points per day, 300,000 EL Points over 30 days
* Characteristics
  * ELUSD holding does not receive staking yield, but earns EL Points at a 10× higher rate compared to sELUSD.
  * This creates an alternative option for users who prefer to give up ELUSD yield in exchange for higher upside from future EL distributions via EL Points.

#### 3.3 Referral

When a new user joins via a referral link and earns EL Points through staking or holding, the referrer earns an additional share of those points.

* Point formula

  `Daily EL Points (referral) = Friend’s daily EL Points × 0.1`
* Example

  If a referred friend earns 10,000 EL Points in a day, the referrer earns an additional 1,000 EL Points (10%).
* Characteristics
  * Referral points are calculated and updated once per day, using the same 00:00 UTC snapshot as other EL Points.
  * Self-referrals and abusive behavior such as multi-account farming may result in point adjustments or removal.