Luna's Collapse Shows DeFi's Dire Need for Technical, Regulatory Controls

Liquidity aggregators could help manage market participants get through Black Swan events.

AccessTimeIconMay 12, 2022 at 8:57 p.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 3:21 p.m. UTC
AccessTimeIconMay 12, 2022 at 8:57 p.m. UTCUpdated May 11, 2023 at 3:21 p.m. UTCLayer 2
AccessTimeIconMay 12, 2022 at 8:57 p.m. UTCUpdated May 11, 2023 at 3:21 p.m. UTCLayer 2

A "Black Swan" event is unpredictable beyond what is normally expected of a situation, is obvious in hindsight and has potentially severe consequences. Examples include the subprime crisis and subsequent meltdown of the banking sector in 2008 and the market capitulation following the start of the global pandemic.

In the financial markets, or in any industry for that matter, Black Swan events are mostly known as negative. Still, history shows that these events are also a pivotal point of positive systemic change. I believe that the same process will apply to this event.

Ahmed Ismail is president and CEO of Fluid, a DeFi liquidity aggregator, and co-founder of HAYVN, a regulated over-the-counter desk in the Middle East.

The downfall of UST as an algorithmic stablecoin is a Black Swan event and should never have happened. It was a project worth over $18 billion – practically too big to fail. Stronger regulatory controls overseeing the project’s automated trading system could have mitigated the situation a long time ago.

Terra’s meltdown spread to bitcoin, causing its price to drop by $10,000 in a matter of hours. It has also caused widespread damage to our peers in the crypto industry, notably exchanges and small and large investors.

If automated decentralized finance (DeFi) trading systems are to grow to this size, there is a need for better regulation and stakeholder safeguards.

Risks associated with algorithmic stablecoins

What has come to the fore this week are the risks associated with algorithmic stablecoins. The key message here is that computer code cannot replace asset-backed collateral.

An algorithmic stablecoin isn’t backed by assets; instead, it’s stabilized by computer code through an algorithm or algorithms designed to hold its peg. Many “algos” have failed before UST, but this historic collapse now proves that algorithmic stablecoins have loopholes in their architecture.

Unfortunately, this chink in the Terra network’s design has managed to bring what was a multibillion-dollar project close to zero within days. It also caused systemic risk across DeFi and the broader crypto industry.

The network’s builders, primarily Terraform Labs, tried to defend the UST/USD peg position by selling large amounts of BTC held in reserve.

A silver lining: It seems as though asset-backed stablecoins such as USDT, USDC and BUSD have weathered the storm and investor sentiment remains intact, although they haven’t been untouched. USDT, for instance, traded nearly 5% away from its USD peg on Thursday, showing how extreme volatility affects the price of stablecoins that are meant to be 100% asset backed.

This event has highlighted key lessons to be internalized by the DeFi industry: Algorithmic stablecoins do not work, or at least need much more research and development. Further, regulatory and technological controls must be enacted before another algo is allowed to get so big.

Crypto needs to be able to handle extreme volatility

This isn’t the first Black Swan event, nor will it be the last. They will happen again in the future. The big question, though, is why was there systemic fallout that affected other assets in the market and how can that be mitigated?

The answer boils down to liquidity, volatility and how markets react in the face of Black Swans. Crypto markets are illiquid and thinly traded. Liquidity is siloed, and crypto markets are extremely inefficient. They become especially vulnerable, and even the most stable cryptos such as BTC and ETH are fragile. All assets will falter when liquidity cannot flow.

So, crypto markets need liquidity aggregators. These systems could help investors manage the turbulent waters caused by Black Swan events – when volatile conditions occur, market participants need access to liquidity quickly and at the best possible price to maintain equilibriums.

As for regulatory controls, I am certain lawmakers will look at the implosion of one of the largest crypto assets ever and find ways to tame the industry.

That’s just our industry growing and learning.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.


Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

Author placeholder image

Ahmed Ismail is president and CEO of FLUID, an AI-powered liquidity aggregator, and co-founder of HAYVN, a regulated institutional OTC desk in the Middle East.