Ethena Labs’ recent launch of the USDe stablecoin has sparked widespread debate. Investors are notably apprehensive about its 27.6% annual yield.
With the mainnet launch on February 19, the Ethereum-based USDe offers a return far exceeding the norm. This has drawn comparisons to Terra’s UST, which collapsed after promising around 20% yield.
Novel Stablecoin Project Faces Community Skepticism
The crux of investor worry lies in the potential for yield inversion. In such scenarios, the costs surpass earnings, leading to losses. This concern, voiced by 0xngmi from DefiLlama, recalls the failure of similar ventures
Moreover, Duo Nine, a pseudonymous crypto analyst, enumerates the risks linked to USDe. These include negative funding rates and liquidity constraints. He believes that in a bear market, these risks could converge, possibly causing stETH to depeg from Ethereum. Eventually, such an event would leave investors with a devalued asset.
“If that happens, the mint/redeem option stops. You can’t swap USDe for ETH and back, you’re stuck with a stable that can fall under $1. The next bear market will be spicy. A Russian roulette to find out what will trigger the next crash,” Nine explained
In response, Ethena Labs has offered reassurances. Conor Ryder, the firm’s head of research, underscores the thorough risk assessments undertaken. He that USDe introduces a novel risk profile unlinked to traditional banking risks. By leveraging stETH and an insurance fund, Ethena aims to cushion against negative funding impacts. Notably, negative funding was a concern on only 11% of days over the last three years.
Despite these risks, USDe’s adoption is swiftly growing, with circulation exceeding $300 million shortly after its launch. This surge follows a $14 million funding round, boosting Ethena Labs’ valuation to $300 million. The round drew heavyweight backers like Dragonfly, Brevan Howard Digital, and Arthur Hayes’ family office, Maelstrom.
The project has also attracted investments from PayPal Ventures, Franklin Templeton, and Fidelity through Avon Ventures. Support from leading crypto exchanges, including Binance, Deribit, Gemini, and Kraken, further bolsters USDe’s credibility.
This wide-ranging support underscores the community’s optimistic stance on Ethena’s innovation. Drawing inspiration from Arthur Hayes, Ethena aspires to disrupt Tether’s dominance with USDe. This stablecoin is designed to be independent of traditional financial systems, relying on a delta-neutral strategy.
