> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.ontorium.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.ontorium.io/ontorium-stack-overview/financial-layer/aqua-overview.md).

# AQUA Overview

**AQUA** is the flagship implementation of the Financial Layer. It is designed as a capital-efficient lending market optimized for real-asset collateral such as **OXAU**.

The purpose of AQUA is to allow users and institutions to access liquidity and yield without requiring real assets to remain passive. In this model, OXAU and future real-asset primitives can be activated within lending markets rather than held solely as static stores of value.

AQUA is therefore not positioned as a general-purpose lending market first. Its design logic is centered on the requirements of real-asset finance. This includes how collateral should be evaluated, how liquidity should be managed, and how risk controls should be tailored to a market built around trusted base assets rather than only crypto-native volatility.