ADR: Revise interest curve utilization rate definition

Author: jordanschalm

docs/adr/interest-curve-utilization-rate.md

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+# Interest Curve Utilization Rate Definition
+**Status**: Proposed
+
+**Date**: 2026-03-31
+
+**Authors**: Jordan Schalm
+
+**Component**: ALP
+
+### References
+- [Slack discussion in Flow Foundation](https://flow-foundation.slack.com/archives/C08QF29F7TK/p1773783670640229)
+- [Automated Meeting Transcript & Notes](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x5X8Dynlbs1IDO46NjckWnW3NaNw0nP9696W7MYQN60/edit?usp=sharing)
+
+## Context
+
+The protocol's interest curve requires a utilization rate to determine borrowing and lending rates. The current implementation computes utilization as `totalCredit / totalDebit`. This differs from the industry-standard approach (e.g. AAVE), and the way these values are computed is faulty in some circumstances, because they do not account for interest accumulation.
+
+`totalDebt` and `totalCredit` are computed as the accumulation of inflows/outflows to/from debit/credit-direction positions. They are stored as absolute (not interest-adjusted) unsigned values, which can cause updates to the values to clamp to zero and become permanently inaccurate.
+
+### Minimal Example
+- User A deposits 100 units of X
+- User B withdraws 100 units of X -> totalDebit(X) = 100
+- Suppose debit rate on X is 10%, and 1 year passes
+- User B deposits 105 units of X -> totalDebit(X) = 0
+  - User B still owes 5 units of X, but totalDebit(X) = 0
+
+## Decision
+
+### 1. Retain the interest curve utilization rate:
+
+```
+utilization = totalTrueCreditBalance / totalTrueDebitBalance
+```
+
+### 2. Re-define `totalTrueCreditBalance`/`totalTrueDebitBalance` to account for interest accrual.
+
+Let's describe the definition wlog for `totalTrueDebitBalance`:
+- Let `X` be some token
+- Let `debitPositions(X)` be the set of positions which have a debit balance for token `X`
+- Let `totalTrueDebitBalance(X)` be the sum of token X debit balances for all positions in `debitPositions(X)`
+
+### 3. Change the protocol fee definition 
+
+Prior to this ADR, protocol fees were computed as a percentage of estimated debit income, when extracted. Instead, we will compute protocol fees (insurance fee, stability fee) explicitly as the excess funds available in reserves.
+
+```
+protocolFee = reserveBalance + totalTrueDebitBalance - totalTrueCreditBalance
+```
+
+## Rationale
+
+1. **Eliminates inaccuracy from clamping.** The current `totalCredit / totalDebit` approach can permanently accumulate inaccuracies from clamping. The proposed formula avoids this by accounting for interest accumulation.
+2. **Clean fee handling.** Defining protocol fees in terms of actual reserve balances and credit/debit accounting values is easier to reason about.
+
+## Related Changes
+
+This ADR focuses on the utilization rate definition. The following related changes were discussed and should be addressed separately:
+
+- **Protocol fee redefinition:** Change from a percentage of debit income to a basis-point spread between the debit rate and credit rate. In general, it would be good to consolidate how the fee definition is defined: currently it is a spread for fixed curves, and a percentage of debit income for other curves. (Possible overlap with https://github.com/onflow/FlowALP/pull/288).
+- **Sanity checks:** Derive and enforce an invariant relating debit/credit interest indices, total true debit/credit balances, position true credit/debit balances, and protocol fees, either on-chain or off-chain.
+- **Bad debt handling:** Currently manual; future work will automate liquidation using an insurance fund to cover shortfalls. 
+
+## Implementation Notes
+
+- Track `totalTrueCreditBalance`/`totalTrueDebitBalance` as **scaled values**, updating via scaled diffs on each position change.
+- Add logic to convert scaled totals to true balances (scaled balance × interest index) for use in the utilization calculation.
+- Protocol fee can be derived as: `reserveBalance + totalTrueDebitBalance - totalTrueCreditBalance`.
+- Interest rate update logic incorrectly uses `totalDebitBalance`:
+```
+let debitIncome = self.totalDebitBalance * debitRate
+```