DeFi Lending Protocol Solvency
Solvency for a DeFi lending protocol means having sufficient assets to cover all liabilities to depositors. Because these protocols operate without traditional banking licenses or insurance, they rely entirely on their smart contract code and incentive mechanisms to maintain solvency.
If the value of the collateral backing the loans falls below the value of the debt, the protocol becomes insolvent. This can be caused by a drop in asset prices, a failure in the oracle system, or a massive surge in withdrawals.
To maintain solvency, protocols use over-collateralization, where borrowers must deposit more value than they borrow. However, during market crashes, even this may not be enough if liquidations cannot be executed in time.
Maintaining solvency is the primary goal of any lending protocol.