SAFU: The Concept of a Secure Asset Fund for Users in the Cryptocurrency Space

In a world where security and trust are usually the greatest concerns, especially in the crypto space, the concept of SAFU (Secure Asset Fund for Users) is a genius innovation.

In the world of cryptocurrency, where security and trust are paramount concerns, the concept of SAFU (Secure Asset Fund for Users) has emerged as a brilliant innovation. This guide delves into the idea of SAFU and explores its impact on the cryptocurrency landscape.

What is a Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU)?

Anyone who has ventured into the realm of cryptocurrency investment is well aware of the inherent volatility that can plague the market. The occasional presence of hacks and scams is a bitter pill to swallow, especially when an investor can go from boasting a thriving portfolio to hearing news about stolen funds in a matter of moments. This is where the concept of SAFU comes into play.

SAFU is an acronym that stands for Secure Asset Fund for Users. It refers to an emergency reserve fund that is designed to protect investors' funds on the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. The money held in this fund acts as insurance to reimburse investors in the unfortunate event that they lose their digital assets due to hacking or any other incident at the exchange that could lead to the loss of user funds. Think of it as a sort of crypto piggy bank.

The Origin of SAFU

The idea of SAFU came about after Binance suffered a major security breach. According to the founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the fund would be used. “To protect the future interests of all users, Binance will create a Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU). Starting from 2018/07/14, we will allocate 10% of all trading fees received into SAFU to offer protection to our users and their funds in extreme cases. This fund will be stored in a separate cold wallet.”

Announced on July 3, 2018, the idea of SAFU didn't originate in a company boardroom meeting. Funnily enough, this serious security measure arose from a joke. During the unfortunate hacking incident, CZ had tweeted “Funds are safe” during a maintenance exercise. A YouTube user turned this tweet into a viral video dubbed “Funds are SAFU.” Cryptocurrency exchange Binance played around with this joke that became a meme movement, turning it into serious business. Changpeng Zhao decided to keep the humor alive and adopted the phrase “SAFU” in later social media posts, and just like that, it became a serious security movement.

How Does SAFU Work?

Binance created the Secure Asset Fund for Users in 2018, at a time when crypto exchange hacks and user fund security were a serious concern. The initiative was designed to ensure that no matter what happened to the exchange, every user would be calm, knowing that their funds or assets were insured. The fund allocates 10% of the exchange's income in terms of trading fees to provide insurance against any potential security breach.

Binance stores the SAFU funds in secure hard wallets that would only be assessed during extreme emergencies. The fund aims to show that Binance is committed to securing users’ interests and, therefore, keeping their trust. For example, during a well-documented security breach on the Binance exchange in 2019, hackers made away with 7,000 Bitcoins worth at least $40 million at the time. The hackers used advanced techniques like malware and phishing to bypass Binance's security and compromise their hot wallets. However, SAFU was activated and reimbursed every user, meaning that the exchange took care of the matter without customers feeling the pinch.

How has SAFU Influenced the Crypto Industry?

While an increasing number of enthusiasts are still entering the crypto space as digital assets become increasingly popular, there are not yet many cryptocurrency exchanges that practice the SAFU concept. In order to attract institutional investors who are joining the digital asset bandwagon, there’s talk within the industry for qualified custodians and insurance providers to create policies to cover the theft of cryptocurrencies. Some cryptocurrency exchanges have put in place policy frameworks to try and address such eventualities, but they fall short of the large amounts traded within the crypto ecosystem.

BitGo offers a $100M policy for hacks, while Coincover proposes a $200M policy covering security breaches. Apparently, there’s just about $1 billion in terms of insurance policies circa $300 billion worth of digital assets in circulation. As the insurance industry struggles with the concept of preparing policies relevant to the crypto sector, SAFU happens to be the stop-gap measure of the moment. After Binance introduced its Secure Asset Fund for Users, a few other crypto exchanges have come up with similar concepts. They include:

Bitfinex: The Bitfinex Insurance Fund covers user funds in the event of unforeseen losses. This happened following a major hacking incident in 2016.

OKX: Cryptocurrency exchange OKX runs a Risk Reserve Fund that ensures users’ funds are secured against market anomalies or security breaches.

KuCoin: Crypto exchange KuCoin operates a User Protection Fund that launched in 2020 after suffering a