Drift Protocol Processes $3M in Liquidations Amidst Market Turbulence

Uptober started with a hiss and a roar, with the majority of crypto traders eagerly awaiting a bullish Q4. Unfortunately, rising geopolitical tensions had other ideas, with escalating conflict in the Middle East delivering volatile market conditions.

While traders rue their misfortune in choppy markets, perpetual exchanges like Drift Protocol are thriving. Amidst fluctuating markets, Drift Protocol showed stability and poise while executing a high frequency of liquidations.

$3M in Liquidations, 0 Bankruptcies

Instead of delivering the expected Uptober pump, market dynamics on October 1st saw crypto assets across the board suffer abrupt downturns. In the space of 24 hours, $SOL slid from $157 to trade hands at $146, dropping 7%. 

The unexpected volatility caused liquidations across the board, with over-leveraged traders suffering harsh losses.

During the market uncertainty, Drift Protocol processed over $3M in liquidations without incident, resulting in 0 bankruptcies. This proves Drift Protocol’s performance and stability during turbulent conditions, with the application executing liquidations at scale.

Drift Protocol Insurance Fund Grows

Perhaps the biggest benefactor of volatile markets is the Drift Protocol Insurance Fund. Designed to maintain the solvency of the exchange in the event of bankruptcies, Drift Protocol’s Insurance Fund doubles as a yield-generating tool for Drift users.

According to Drift Protocol co-founder Cindy Leow, the platform generated over $200k in liquidation revenue during October 1st’s market chop.

The Drift Protocol Insurance fund has enjoyed consistent growth throughout the year. Based on Dune Analytics data, the fund’s value is up 167% YTD.

$DRIFT Down 21% MTD

Despite the exchange’s admirable performance during the crash, the protocol’s native governance token was not immune to bearish market forces.

Entering Uptober trading at $0.66, $DRIFT couldn’t escape the market-wide downturn. Based on Step Finance data, $DRIFT dropped 9% during the day’s trading to exchange hands at $0.60 on October 2nd. In the days that followed, $DRIFT price declined further, currently trading at $0.52.

Read More on SolanaFloor

Solana has a new stablecoin

Solayer Introduces Yield Bearing Stablecoin in Collaboration with OpenEden

Learn the Crypto Lending Ropes