Impermanent Loss Mechanics
Impermanent Loss Mechanics describe the phenomenon where liquidity providers in an automated market maker experience a difference in asset value compared to holding those assets in a wallet. This occurs when the price ratio of the two assets in a pool changes, causing the liquidity provider's holdings to be rebalanced against their will.
If the price ratio returns to the initial level, the loss is eliminated, hence it is called impermanent. However, if the provider withdraws their liquidity while the price ratio is different, the loss becomes permanent.
This risk is a fundamental consideration for anyone providing liquidity to decentralized exchanges. It essentially represents the opportunity cost of providing liquidity versus simply holding the underlying tokens.