It varies, there are a bunch of different types of stabletokens. The two main approaches I'm aware of are:
Tokens that are issued and backed by a trusted third party. Tether, for example, issues one USDT token for every USD that is deposited with Tether Inc. and you can redeem USDTs for USD again any time. I'm not particularly fond of this approach, but it's simple and popular and as long as you're not holding USDT long-term I don't see a big problem with it as a day-to-day currency. Just make sure the issuing company is audited and you're prepared for the possibility that they could turn out to be lying.
Tokens that are issued by on-chain smart contracts, backed by other digital assets. DAI and Liquity are examples of these. They are more complicated but IMO the better choice because you don't have to trust anyone - you can see the token's backing right on the blockchain itself and know whether it's actually worth what the stabletoken needs for support.
One of the nice things about the on-chain smart contract stabletokens is that they can be backed by less-stable tokens, such as Ether itself, so you can get the best of both worlds out of them.
Ok, so a stablecoin means, that the holder gives an unsecured, zero-interest loan to a company with unknown credit worthiness. It’s “stable” because a $1 debt stays a 1$ debt. That’s a nice spin on zero interest. It’s not what I’d call a currency. Or sane, reasonable, sensible, …
I note that tether is known for not allowing audits. Are you for real?
The other option is that the loan is collateralized in crypto. And you can’t actually redeem the stablecoin for money, you can only get crypto that trades for $1, allegedly. On the liquity site I wasn’t able to see how the price is determined. I did see that there is a redemption fee of variable, unknown size. I’m not quite clear how that is supposed to be sane.
Ok, so a stablecoin means, that the holder gives an unsecured, zero-interest loan to a company with unknown credit worthiness.
No. Neither of the approaches I described means that. You can check the credit-worthiness of Tether and other such companies (Tether was just an example, there are many others) and decide whether you want to use their token based on what you learn if you wish. As I said, you only need the token to last for as long as you're using it for, so if you're running a storefront for example you can be paid in those tokens and immediately trade them for something you trust more.
And you can’t actually redeem the stablecoin for money, you can only get crypto that trades for $1, allegedly.
The stablecoin is worth $1, yes. That's the point of the stablecoin. The "allegedly" part is not actually allegedly, it's part of how the smart contract backing the token operates.
Are you for real?
Yes. I get the impression that you're arguing in bad faith, though. I'm happy to discuss the details of how these things work but you're calling this "insane" and that's not a particularly useful mindset for learning.
General_Effort@lemmy.world 9 months ago
And how do they manage that?
FaceDeer@kbin.social 9 months ago
It varies, there are a bunch of different types of stabletokens. The two main approaches I'm aware of are:
Tokens that are issued and backed by a trusted third party. Tether, for example, issues one USDT token for every USD that is deposited with Tether Inc. and you can redeem USDTs for USD again any time. I'm not particularly fond of this approach, but it's simple and popular and as long as you're not holding USDT long-term I don't see a big problem with it as a day-to-day currency. Just make sure the issuing company is audited and you're prepared for the possibility that they could turn out to be lying.
Tokens that are issued by on-chain smart contracts, backed by other digital assets. DAI and Liquity are examples of these. They are more complicated but IMO the better choice because you don't have to trust anyone - you can see the token's backing right on the blockchain itself and know whether it's actually worth what the stabletoken needs for support.
One of the nice things about the on-chain smart contract stabletokens is that they can be backed by less-stable tokens, such as Ether itself, so you can get the best of both worlds out of them.
General_Effort@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Ok, so a stablecoin means, that the holder gives an unsecured, zero-interest loan to a company with unknown credit worthiness. It’s “stable” because a $1 debt stays a 1$ debt. That’s a nice spin on zero interest. It’s not what I’d call a currency. Or sane, reasonable, sensible, …
I note that tether is known for not allowing audits. Are you for real?
The other option is that the loan is collateralized in crypto. And you can’t actually redeem the stablecoin for money, you can only get crypto that trades for $1, allegedly. On the liquity site I wasn’t able to see how the price is determined. I did see that there is a redemption fee of variable, unknown size. I’m not quite clear how that is supposed to be sane.
FaceDeer@kbin.social 9 months ago
No. Neither of the approaches I described means that. You can check the credit-worthiness of Tether and other such companies (Tether was just an example, there are many others) and decide whether you want to use their token based on what you learn if you wish. As I said, you only need the token to last for as long as you're using it for, so if you're running a storefront for example you can be paid in those tokens and immediately trade them for something you trust more.
The stablecoin is worth $1, yes. That's the point of the stablecoin. The "allegedly" part is not actually allegedly, it's part of how the smart contract backing the token operates.
Yes. I get the impression that you're arguing in bad faith, though. I'm happy to discuss the details of how these things work but you're calling this "insane" and that's not a particularly useful mindset for learning.