Liveness Assumption

Context

The Liveness Assumption, within cryptocurrency, options trading, and financial derivatives, fundamentally concerns the continued operational integrity of underlying systems and counterparties. It posits that systems will remain functional and accessible throughout the lifecycle of a contract or transaction, a critical, yet often implicit, element in pricing and risk assessment. This assumption is particularly relevant in decentralized finance where reliance on code and network stability replaces traditional institutional trust, and its validity directly impacts the accurate valuation of complex instruments. Failure to adequately account for potential disruptions to system liveness introduces systemic risk.