Collateral Asset Overlap
Collateral asset overlap occurs when multiple lending protocols rely on the same set of assets as collateral. If the value of one of these assets drops, it triggers simultaneous liquidation events across all protocols that accept it.
This creates a massive, correlated shock to the entire DeFi system, regardless of the individual protocols' design. This overlap is a hidden form of systemic risk, as it ties the fate of seemingly unrelated platforms together.
It effectively creates a single point of failure for the entire lending ecosystem. When the collateral asset is a volatile, low-liquidity token, the risk is magnified significantly.
Understanding the extent of this overlap is critical for assessing the stability of the decentralized credit market. It reveals the fragile interdependence that underlies the current DeFi landscape.