Ethena Labs Proposes SOL for a Stronger USDe Foundation

As a seasoned researcher with years of experience delving into the intricacies of blockchain technology and digital assets, I find the proposal by Ethena Labs to incorporate Solana (SOL) as a new collateral asset for its synthetic stablecoin USDe particularly intriguing.


Ethena Labs, innovator behind the synthetic stablecoin USDe, has put forth a suggestion for adding Solana (SOL) as a potential new collateral option within their treasury reserves.

Unlike conventional stablecoins like Tether’s USDT or Circle’s USDC that are backed by equal amounts of fiat currency, USDe functions as a synthetic stablecoin. This means it doesn’t hold fiat currency in a 1:1 ratio. Instead, USDe keeps its $1 value by securing multiple stablecoins and employing a cash-and-carry trading method that includes hedging strategies.

This strategy entails holding significant open positions in future contracts, which aids in maintaining their stability as a reserve fund mitigates risks during fluctuating market situations.

Should Ethena’s autonomous Risk Committee give its approval, SOL could progressively become part of USDe’s securities structure. Initially, a sum between $100 million and $200 million would be earmarked for this purpose, which equates to around 5-10% of SOL’s current market value, aligning with USDe’s current investments of 3% in Bitcoin (BTC) and 9% in Ethereum (ETH).

Furthermore, this plan suggests employing a type of token known as liquid staking tokens (LSTs), such as BNSOL and bbSOL, in a manner similar to how Ethena currently handles ETH LSTs, accounting for approximately one-third of its total ETH holdings.

Recently, Ethena Labs allocated $46 million of its USDe reserve fund for tokenized real-world asset investments in various projects, including BlackRock’s BUIDL, Mountain’s USDM, Superstate’s USTB, and Sky’s USDS. This aligns with the growing trend in decentralized finance (DeFi) toward generating yield from asset-backed tokens. 

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2024-10-14 12:52