AMM Slippage
AMM slippage is the difference between the expected price of a trade and the actual price executed on an automated market maker platform. This occurs because the price in an AMM is determined by a mathematical formula, such as the constant product formula, rather than a traditional order book.
As a trade size increases, it moves the ratio of assets in the liquidity pool, resulting in a higher price for the buyer or a lower price for the seller. This is known as price impact and is a direct function of the trade size relative to the pool's liquidity.
Traders must account for this slippage when calculating their position sizes in decentralized finance. High slippage can make large trades unprofitable, so it is crucial to use aggregators or split orders across different pools.
Understanding AMM mechanics is essential for efficient trading in DeFi.