DeFi
Traders using decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols to bet on a USDC revival over the weekend are at risk of eight-figure liquidations if the stablecoin loses its $1 peg again this week.
According to data from DeFi Llama, there are $70.8 million in positions that can be liquidated between $1.00 and $0.895, with two recently filled positions on interest protocol Compound being worth $20.7 million and $15.4 million, respectively.
USDC slumped to a low of $0.88 on Saturday after Circle, the company that issues the stablecoin, announced that it had $3.3 billion tied up in troubled Silicon Valley Bank (SVB).
Circle revealed Sunday that the $3.3 billion would be available at U.S. banks on Monday, quelling fears over a potential suspension in redemptions. Circle has a facility that allows users to redeem one USDC token for one U.S. dollar.
While the immediate panic appears to be over with USDC regaining its peg on Monday, the first of two Compound positions worth $20.4 million will be liquidated if USDC hits $0.985; the price point for the other position is at $0.925.
Liquidations on Compound occur when a user borrows an asset and the value of the borrowed assets become greater than collateral. In this case, users can borrow other crypto assets – such as other stablecoins – by using USDC as collateral.
