Divergence Loss
Divergence loss is an alternative term for impermanent loss, emphasizing that the loss arises specifically from the price divergence between the assets within a liquidity pool. As the market price of the deposited tokens changes, the ratio of the tokens in the pool must adjust to reflect the new market valuation.
If a user were to simply hold the assets, they would benefit from the full appreciation of the higher-performing asset. However, in a pool, the AMM sells the appreciating asset and buys the depreciating one to maintain the balance, which leads to a lower total value compared to a simple hold strategy.
The term divergence loss highlights that the magnitude of the loss is directly proportional to the price difference between the two assets. It is a vital concept for risk management, as it quantifies the opportunity cost of providing liquidity.
Investors must weigh this divergence against the expected fee income to determine if a pool is profitable. It is a standard risk factor in all decentralized liquidity provision.