Best Way to Explain Why Do Stablecoins Depeg?

Stablecoins Depeg are a sort of cryptocurrency that tries to keep its value constant in relation to an asset, such as fiat cash or gold. They’ve become popular in the DeFi sphere, as well as as an alternative for the volatility associated with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Nonetheless, these coins may not always be as stable as they claim to be.

Stablecoins Depeg


A variety of events might cause stablecoins to lose their peg, which means they trade at a price different from their reference asset. One USDC, for example, backed by US dollar cash reserves and short-term treasuries, should always be worth one dollar. However, if there is insufficient demand or supply for USDC in the market, or if someone attempts to manipulate its price, it may fall Trade at a loss or profit.
Depegging has the potential to erode the trust and utility of stablecoins, which are intended to provide rapid, cheap, and global transactions without surrendering price stability and predictability. It may potentially reduce profits for both consumers and stablecoin producers.

Lack of Market Liquidity

Stablecoins, which claim to have a fixed value relative to an asset such as fiat money or gold, require sufficient market liquidity to preserve their peg. The ease with which an asset can be traded without altering its price is referred to as market liquidity. When there aren’t enough buyers and sellers in the market, the price can deviate from its peg.

On March 11, 2023, USDC, a stablecoin backed by US dollars and treasuries and issued by Circle, fell to $0.88. The reason for this was the failure of two large banks that provided services to crypto firms: Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Silvergate Bank. (SI).
Circle had $3.3 billion of USDC’s cash reserves on SVB, and it was unclear how much would be recovered over the weekend that SVB failed.recovered. This frightened the market, causing widespread selling of USDC. Meanwhile, Circle was unable to provide redemptions because banks were closed for the weekend. The unexpected decline in demand for USDC in the market outstripped supply, leading its price to fall below its peg.

Market manipulation

Another reason stablecoins can depeg is market manipulation. Any conduct that purposely impacts or distorts the price of an asset for personal gain or advantage is referred to as market manipulation. Stablecoins, like other cryptocurrencies, are vulnerable to market manipulation.

Tether (USDT), for example, a stablecoin created by Tether Limited and backed by US dollars stored in reserve accounts, was accused of influencing Bitcoin prices in 2017 by issuing more USDT than it had reserves for. Tether was used to acquire Bitcoin at key points when it was decreasing, creating fake demand and inflating its price, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin.
The investigation also claimed that Tether was not entirely backed by US dollars, as promised., but rather through loans from Bitfinex, a cryptocurrency exchange owned by Tether Limited. This cast doubt on Tether’s solvency and credibility, prompting regulators and law enforcement authorities to launch legal investigations.

Flaws in the Design

Flaws in the design of the stablecoin process are a third reason why stablecoins can depeg. The mechanism of a stablecoin refers to how it maintains its peg through various means such as collateralization, algorithmic adjustment, or governance. External issues or threats that impact the stability or security of a stablecoin can be overlooked by its procedures.

For example, during a market downturn in May 2022, a bank run on algorithmic stablecoins TerraUSD (UST) and LUNA, which were formerly among the top ten most valuable cryptocurrencies, saw the peg of UST break from $1. Because of the way it was designed, $1 of UST may be claimed for $1 of LUNA. However, as investors fled, it hastened the demise of both UST and LUNA, resulting in a spiral effect and, eventually, the implosion of both. but let us know in the comment section what you think

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *