Advancing Stablecoins Part 1: iUSD’s Triple-Peg Architecture Bolsters DeFi Resilience on Cardano

iUSD’s triple-peg mechanism showcases its robust design during recent stablecoin volatility

Indigo
2 min readMar 23, 2023

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Introduction

In the world of DeFi, stablecoins play a crucial role in providing a stable medium of exchange and store of value. iUSD, a decentralized overcollateralized stablecoin issued on the Indigo Protocol, is the first native stablecoin on the Cardano network. In this three-week series, we will discuss the innovative features of iUSD, starting with the unique triple-peg mechanism that sets it apart from other stablecoins in the market.

iUSD’s Triple-Peg Mechanism

Unlike traditional stablecoins, which are typically pegged directly to the US Dollar, iUSD derives its value from a combination of leading digital assets, USDC, USDT, and TUSD. The triple-peg mechanism calculates the median price of these three well-established stablecoins, ensuring stability even if one or more of the reference assets loses their peg.

iUSD uses the median of USDT, USDC, and TUSD

Earlier this month, the cryptocurrency market witnessed a significant event where many stablecoins faced considerable volatility and lost their peg to the US Dollar. This unexpected event, triggered by a combination of geopolitical tensions, macroeconomic uncertainties, and widespread liquidations in the broader crypto market, put iUSD through its first round of real-world stress testing.

During this period, several well-known stablecoins experienced fluctuations ranging from 2% to 5% from their pegged value. This loss of peg led to uncertainties in the DeFi market, affecting lending, borrowing, and trading activities as users sought to preserve their assets’ value. Amidst the chaos, iUSD demonstrated resilience and stability, with only minimal fluctuations in value, thanks in part to its triple-peg mechanism. TapTools, a popular Twitter page and trading tool in the Cardano ecosystem, tweeted:

“iUSD, a decentralized overcollateralized stablecoin issued on the Indigo Protocol, held its peg relatively well, only dipping as low as $0.987. This stablecoin is triple-pegged to USDT, USDC, and TUSD, which helped it maintain its price.” — TapTools

Conclusion

The triple-peg mechanism employed by iUSD has proven its effectiveness in maintaining stability during market volatility. By deriving its value from three leading digital assets, iUSD provides a more resilient and reliable stablecoin solution within the DeFi ecosystem and the Cardano network. In the next article (part 2), we will explore iUSD’s efficient liquidation system, another key feature that contributes to its stability.

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Indigo

Indigo is a decentralized synthetic asset issuance protocol built on Cardano