Automated Market Maker Risk

Mechanism

Automated Market Makers (AMMs) introduce a distinct risk profile by relying on mathematical functions rather than traditional order books to determine asset prices. The constant product formula, for example, inherently creates a divergence between the AMM’s internal price and the external market price as trades execute. This structural design ensures liquidity provision but simultaneously generates opportunities for arbitrageurs, who profit by bringing the AMM’s price back into equilibrium. This process of rebalancing, however, results in a loss for the liquidity provider, commonly referred to as impermanent loss.