Arbitrage Loops
Arbitrage loops are the mechanisms by which market participants exploit price differences between a stablecoin and its target peg to restore equilibrium. When the price deviates from the peg, profit-seeking traders buy the cheaper asset and sell the more expensive one across different platforms.
This activity effectively increases demand for the undervalued asset and increases supply for the overvalued one, driving the price back to the target. In algorithmic systems, these loops are often codified into the protocol, allowing users to mint or redeem tokens at fixed prices to facilitate the correction.
These participants are essential for maintaining the stability of decentralized assets. Without active arbitrage, the peg would fail during periods of high volatility.
The efficiency of these loops is a primary indicator of protocol health.