Ethena's Stablecoin USDe Plunges by Half Following October Crypto Market Crash
The stablecoin USDe, issued by Ethena, experienced a significant decline, with its market capitalization plummeting by more than half from its October peak, dropping by $8.5 billion. This sharp decrease followed the major cryptocurrency market crash on October 10, which triggered record trader liquidations nearing $20 billion in nominal futures positions. Analysts from 10x Research noted that the crash eroded investor confidence in USDe's synthetic backing mechanism during periods of market stress. USDe, the fourth-largest stablecoin by market cap, is not directly backed by the US dollar but instead relies on a delta-neutral strategy involving positions like simultaneous long and short trades on assets such as Bitcoin. Despite being one of the sector's most profitable protocols with nearly $400 million in earnings since the beginning of the year, USDe's supply fell from a peak of $14.8 billion in early October to $6.3 billion by December 24. Ethena's native token, ENA, also suffered, declining 60% since October and nearly 80% year-to-date. In contrast, other major stablecoins in the top five saw growth or only minor, temporary declines during the same period.
RBK-crypto12/24 16:48
