What Is Impermanent Loss?

In the rapidly growing world of Decentralized Finance (DeFi), understanding impermanent loss is fundamental for anyone who plans to become a liquidity provider. Impermanent loss is a unique risk associated with providing liquidity in DeFi protocols, and it has the potential to impact the profitability of your investment.

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Sound like something you’d like to explore? Let’s dive in! →

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Understanding Impermanent Loss

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Impermanent loss occurs when a liquidity provider deposits assets into a liquidity pool, and the price of those assets change compared to when they were deposited. The larger this price change, the more significant the impermanent loss.

It’s crucial to note that the term “impermanent” can be somewhat misleading, as these losses become permanent once the liquidity provider withdraws their assets from the pool. The loss represents a lower dollar value at the time of withdrawal compared to the time of deposit, hence the term “impermanent loss”.

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To better illustrate this concept, let’s use a hypothetical scenario:

Imagine Anna, who decides to provide liquidity to an Osmosis pool. She deposits 1 OSMO and 100 DAI, with OSMO priced at 100 DAI at the time of deposit. The dollar value of Anna’s deposit is 200 USD. Suppose the price of OSMO increases to 400 DAI. Arbitrage traders will add DAI to the pool and remove OSMO from it until the ratio reflects the current price. If Anna decides to withdraw her funds now, she can withdraw 0.5 OSMOS and 200 DAI, totaling 400 USD. However, if she had merely held her 1 OSMO and 100 DAI, the combined dollar value of these holdings would now be 500 USD. Anna would have been better off by holding rather than depositing into the liquidity pool, thus illustrating the concept of impermanent loss.

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However, it’s not all gloom and doom. While impermanent loss can negatively impact a liquidity provider’s profits, it can be counteracted by trading fees. Many DeFi protocols, such as Uniswap, reward liquidity providers with a portion of the trading fees. Therefore, even pools that are quite exposed to impermanent loss can be profitable thanks to these trading fees.

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If there’s a lot of trading volume happening in a given pool, it can be profitable to provide liquidity even if the pool is heavily exposed to impermanent loss. However, the profitability of providing liquidity and the extent to which fees counteract impermanent loss depends on various factors, including the protocol, the specific pool, the deposited assets, and the overall market conditions.

Now with the basics covered, let’s explore the estimation and mitigation of impermanent loss…

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Estimating and Mitigating Impermanent Loss

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Estimating impermanent loss is a key aspect of understanding the potential risk associated with providing liquidity. The extent of impermanent loss is primarily influenced by the ratio of price change. Here are some examples to illustrate this:

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• If the price of the deposited assets changes by 1.25x, the estimated impermanent loss is 0.6%.
• A price change of 1.50x corresponds to a 2.0% loss.
• A price change of 1.75x results in a 3.8% loss.
• A 2x price change corresponds to a 5.7% loss.
• A significant 5x price change results in an estimated 25.5% loss.

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These examples show that as the price change ratio increases, the impermanent loss also increases, further emphasizing the need to monitor the price changes of the assets you deposit in the pool.

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However, as we’ve previously mentioned, impermanent loss can be counteracted by trading fees. Most Automated Market Makers (AMMs) reward liquidity providers with a portion of the trading fees, making it possible for a liquidity provider to still achieve profits despite exposure to impermanent loss. The profitability and extent to which trading fees can offset impermanent loss depend on the protocol, the specific pool, the deposited assets, and the overall market conditions.

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When it comes to mitigating the risks of impermanent loss, several strategies can be applied. One key strategy is starting with a small deposit. This allows you to get a feel for the potential returns and the degree of impermanent loss you might experience before committing a more significant amount.

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Another strategy involves choosing established and well-tested AMMs to provide liquidity. The DeFi landscape is filled with numerous AMMs, some of which are less reputable and could expose you to unnecessary risks, such as bugs that could trap your funds. Therefore, it is advisable to stick with tried and tested AMMs when starting your journey as a liquidity provider.

Now, let’s get into how to manage and minimize impermanent loss…

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Impermanent Loss in Practice

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Impermanent loss is a fundamental concept that anyone who wants to provide liquidity to AMMs should understand thoroughly. It has direct implications on the profitability of being a liquidity provider. If the price of the deposited assets changes since the deposit, the liquidity provider may be exposed to impermanent loss. This exposure can sometimes lead to less dollar value at the time of withdrawal than at the time of deposit, which is what we call impermanent loss​.

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Let’s revisit our example from the first chapter. If Anna had simply held onto her 1 OSMO and 100 DAI instead of depositing them into the liquidity pool, the combined dollar value of these holdings would be 500 USD now, due to the increase in the price of OSMO. In contrast, by providing liquidity, she ended up with assets worth 400 USD, suffering from impermanent loss. However, this example doesn’t account for the trading fees that Anna would have earned for providing liquidity. In many cases, the fees earned can offset the losses and make providing liquidity a profitable activity despite the impermanent loss​.

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Therefore, understanding impermanent loss is crucial to making informed decisions about whether and how much to deposit into a liquidity pool. It’s essential to weigh the potential impermanent loss against the expected trading fees. The trade-off between the two can greatly influence the overall profitability of being a liquidity provider.

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Moreover, impermanent loss also influences the choice of assets to deposit. Assets that remain within a relatively stable price range are less exposed to impermanent loss. For instance, stablecoins or different wrapped versions of a coin will stay in a relatively contained price range, thereby posing a smaller risk of impermanent loss for liquidity providers​​.

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In conclusion, understanding impermanent loss and how to manage it is vital for anyone considering providing liquidity in DeFi protocols. It is a complex concept that can significantly impact the potential profitability of being a liquidity provider. However, with the knowledge gained from this course, you are now well-equipped to navigate the world of DeFi and make informed decisions as a potential liquidity provider.

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Conclusion & Resources

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Congratulations!

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You made it through the What is Mainnet course! You are now caught up on the main different blockchain networks.

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Want to learn more? Feel free to check these resources:

• KYVE’s Docs on Supported Wallets
• How to use Keplr Video