Automated Liquidation Feedback Loops
Automated liquidation feedback loops are self-reinforcing cycles where smart contracts automatically sell collateral in response to falling prices, which in turn drives prices even lower. In decentralized finance, lending protocols require borrowers to maintain a specific collateralization ratio.
If the market value of the collateral falls below this threshold, the protocol triggers an automated liquidation to repay the loan. These large, programmatic sell orders hit the order book, absorbing available buy-side liquidity and depressing the price further.
This new lower price triggers more liquidation thresholds, causing the smart contracts to sell even more collateral. This loop continues until the protocol reaches a new equilibrium or the collateral is entirely exhausted.
Such mechanisms are designed to protect the lender but often act as a destabilizing force during periods of high volatility.