Key Takeaways:
Ethereum (ETH) plunged nearly 10% on Monday, threatening large DeFi loans backed by ETH as collateral.
A $130 million ETH-backed loan on Sky (formerly Maker) is at high risk of liquidation, despite the borrower adding 2,000 ETH and reducing debt to prevent forced sell-offs.
$336 million in DeFi loans are within a 20% price range of liquidation, potentially intensifying downward pressure on ETH.
DeFi Liquidations Loom as ETH Dips Below Critical Levels
Ethereum’s sharp decline to $1,820 on Monday has rattled DeFi markets, with a major $74 million DAI loan backed by 65,680 ETH now at risk of liquidation.
The borrower attempted to stabilize their position by depositing 2,000 ETH (~$4M) and later converting $1.6M USDT to DAI to reduce outstanding debt.
Despite these efforts, the loan’s liquidation price stands at $1,836, keeping it dangerously close to forced liquidation as ETH hovers around $1,870.
Wider DeFi Market at Risk of a Liquidation Cascade
According to DefiLlama, additional ETH-backed loans face liquidation risks at key price levels:
$13.6M in loans could be liquidated at $1,857 ETH.
$117M in loans could be forced to sell at $1,780 ETH.
A 20% ETH price drop could trigger $366M in total liquidations, adding severe downward pressure on ETH’s price.
When DeFi liquidations occur, the protocol sells the collateralized ETH on the open market, which can intensify selling pressure and accelerate the decline, according to CoinDesk.
