$RUNE is crashing. What is the consequence for Defi?This idea focuses more on DeFi and Web3 as a whole rather than the specific case of $RUNE.
What is happening to CRYPTOCAP:RUNE can happen to any other DeFi protocol, so it’s crucial to analyze how these protocols work, identify the risks, and explore how to mitigate them.
### How DeFi Protocols Work
CRYPTOCAP:RUNE , like many other protocols, is powered by smart contracts. These are small programs that execute tasks like lending, swapping, and other DeFi functions automatically and without human intervention. Investors love these protocols for their decentralized nature and trustless execution, enabled by blockchain technology.
CRYPTOCAP:RUNE gained popularity because its decentralized protocol allowed its price to be tied to factors like its total value locked (TVL) and fee earnings. The more people staked, provided liquidity, or used its lending services, the more CRYPTOCAP:RUNE ’s price increased. For instance, we saw CRYPTOCAP:RUNE rise from $3 to $12 last year as people used the protocol to loan CRYPTOCAP:BTC and CRYPTOCAP:ETH during their price surges.
### The Mechanism Behind CRYPTOCAP:RUNE
DeFi protocols like CRYPTOCAP:RUNE rely on the token itself as collateral. For example:
- When users send CRYPTOCAP:BTC or CRYPTOCAP:ETH to the protocol, it automatically buys and sells CRYPTOCAP:RUNE , which drives its price up.
- Conversely, when users withdraw CRYPTOCAP:BTC or CRYPTOCAP:ETH , the protocol sells CRYPTOCAP:RUNE to repay those users, which puts downward pressure on its price.
This mechanism can create vulnerabilities, as we’ve seen with $RUNE.
### What Went Wrong?
While all altcoins were losing value, CRYPTOCAP:BTC outperformed to the point where the total value of CRYPTOCAP:BTC being staked and loaned on the protocol exceeded the total value of $RUNE. In simple terms, if everyone requested their CRYPTOCAP:BTC and CRYPTOCAP:ETH back, the protocol would not have enough CRYPTOCAP:RUNE to sell and repay them. This is known as **insolvency**.
Last year, when authorities paused Rune Swap for a week to investigate criminal activity, CRYPTOCAP:RUNE ’s price plummeted from $2.2 to $1.3 as smart contracts automatically compensated for reduced earnings and people redeemed their staked assets, forcing the protocol to sell $RUNE.
### The Catastrophic Validator Decision
This month, with the price of CRYPTOCAP:BTC surging, some inverstors decided to cash out from CRYPTOCAP:RUNE and that is when they realized that the price of CRYPTOCAP:RUNE was so underperforming CRYPTOCAP:BTC that the protocol might be insolvent. They createed a "bank run" and an avalanche of investors lost their trust and asked their coins back.
To prevent a complete collapse, validators—who are essential for running the blockchain—used a private key to manually stop the protocol. This halted the smart contracts from continuing to sell $RUNE. However, this move backfired.
Observers saw the protocol being manually interfered with, highlighting its insolvency and raising serious concerns. This decision led to even more fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). It became clear that DeFi’s lack of flexibility and inability to adapt to emergencies can create destructive outcomes.
### Broader Implications for DeFi Protocols
This exposes a significant vulnerability in all DeFi protocols. Many rely on their own coin as collateral, but if CRYPTOCAP:BTC continues to rise in value and users decide to withdraw their CRYPTOCAP:BTC , the protocols could face the same insolvency issue. In some cases, the amount required to repay users may exceed the protocol’s total collateral—or even the market cap of the altcoin itself.
### The Potential Domino Effect
If platforms like Uniswap, PancakeSwap, Hyperliquid, and others fail to address this issue, we could see a domino effect:
- Investors may withdraw their funds from DeFi protocols, leading to a collapse of the entire DeFi ecosystem.
- Such an event would have dire consequences for the broader altcoin market.
### The Solution
If CRYPTOCAP:BTC continues its bull run alone, DeFi platforms may need to reconsider their reliance on CRYPTOCAP:BTC and stop lending/staking and swapping to $BTC. Failure to adapt could render many protocols insolvent, triggering unprecedented FUD and potentially causing the crypto market to crash.
### Conclusion
The current situation with CRYPTOCAP:RUNE is a cautionary tale for the entire DeFi industry. Without proactive measures, the very mechanisms that make DeFi appealing—decentralization and automation—could become its greatest weaknesses.