Depeg

A depeg is when a stablecoin breaks its $1.00 peg — trading at $0.97, $0.60, or $0.0001. Minor wobbles happen in volatility; a sustained depeg means the ma

A depeg is when a stablecoin breaks its $1.00 peg — trading at $0.97, $0.60, or $0.0001. Minor wobbles happen in volatility; a sustained depeg means the market no longer believes each token is redeemable for a dollar.

Why it matters

“Stable” is a promise, not a property. UST’s depeg vaporized tens of billions because the entire Terra ecosystem assumed the peg was a law of nature. Before holding any stablecoin at size, ask: what backs it, who audits the backing, and what happens on the worst day?

Related terms

stablecoin ·
algorithmic stablecoin ·
collateral

Browse all glossary terms · Start a free course