Traders seem to expect BTC’s momentum could slow down a bit after the price hit over $97,000.

Positive sentiment has continued to fuel the cryptocurrency market as the expectation of further institutional adoption of 

 keeps growing. Options trading of BlackRock’s Spot Bitcoin ETF IBIT 

 with a bang, attracting almost $2 billion on the first day of trading. The hope of more spot ETF derivatives to change the market structure with additional institutional money onboarding crypto is high.

, we explored the possibility of the market being overleveraged, which could be painful if the current leverage unwinds. Data from CryptoQuant shows that the estimated leverage of the current BTC markets has reached another YTD high.

Derivatives data on Bybit shows that traders seem to expect that BTC’s momentum could slow down a bit after the price hit over $97,000, and are focusing more on downside protection.

Figure 1: Bitcoin estimated leverage ratio at 0.23. Source: CryptoQuant

BTC Options Open Interest Returns to Previous High While Perps Are Catching Up

Derivatives traders have been actively participating in BTC markets as 

 on Bybit has surged to over $3 billion, on par with the previous high on Nov 14, 2024. Although the options OI has increased, it still hasn’t surged above the previous high. At the time, BTC’s price had already jumped to over $97,000. If the OI doesn’t follow suit and break above the previous high in the coming days, this could be a sign that the market could become a bit exhausted — something for all market participants to be aware of.

Figure 2: Daily open interest for BTC options on Bybit. Source: Bybit

 have also seen increased open interest in recent days. Perpetuals have been among the most favorable products for day traders and short-term speculators. Rising open interest could indicate that more traders are looking for short-term profit, which could bring additional volatility to the market. 

Figure 3: Daily open interest for BTCUSDT Perpetuals on Bybit. Source: Bybit

Dec 27, 2024 remains the most popular expiration date for BTC Options on Bybit, with most of the open interest there. Within that expiration, $120,000 calls had the most OI, and $100,000 calls accumulated the second-largest OI. 

Figure 4: Open interest by strike for BTC Options with a Dec 27, 2024 expiration. Source: Bybit

Meanwhile, the market’s optimism that BTC will hit $100,000 by the end of the year seems to support the current price momentum. Shorter-dated options could show that traders are also looking for downside protection. The Bybit 

 page shows that BTC Options with a Nov 29, 2024 expiration have a strong 24-hour inflow to $90,000 puts. This could indicate that some traders are also anticipating some degree of price correction by the end of the month. 

Figure 5: 24-hour volume by strike for BTC Options with a Nov 29, 2024 expiration on Bybit. Source: Bybit

 for BTC Options on Bybit also indicates a possible downside protection in play among options traders. A smirk skew, or left skew, is a skew curve that’s steeper on one side (the left side) than the other. Traditionally, a smirk skew curve could mean that traders have been protecting their portfolios against a possible declining market. At the time of this writing (Nov 21, 2024), BTC Options contracts on Bybit with Nov 29, 2024 and Dec 27, 2024 expirations have both shown a smirk skew. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean traders are bearish on the price, and could just be part of the trading strategy. For example, traders could set up collars by buying out-of-the-money (OTM) puts and selling OTM calls simultaneously, so that they can profit in case BTC’s price drops, gain upside exposure and potentially offset the cost of buying the puts. 

Figure 6: Implied volatility of BTC Options with Nov 29, 2024 and Dec 27, 2024 expirations. Source: Bybit

The current BTC leverage trading may be complex, but tells a revealing narrative about market sentiment. The divergence between high leverage and increased hedging activities also reminds us that market dynamics are rarely straightforward, and adopting a 

 seems increasingly important in this diverse market.

: Investing in cryptocurrencies and their derivatives involves substantial risk of loss, and isn’t suitable for every investor. This article provides facts for educational purposes only, and does not represent any financial advice. Prior to making any investment decisions, please ensure you fully understand the risks involved and seek independent advice if necessary. Our customer support team is available to assist you with any inquiries.

Advanced

NOV24_R53_Learn From Smart Money_ BTC’s Leverage Remains High as Traders Hedge Against Downside Risks.png

Learn From Smart Money: BTC’s Leverage Remains High as Traders Hedge Against Downside Risks

Our weekly crypto derivatives analytics report dives into macro events, the current state of crypto and trading signals from spot trading volume, and futures, options and perpetual contracts.

Spot prices have jumped significantly in the two weeks following the November 5, 2024 U.S. elections, propelling Bitcoin to new all-time highs, while Ethereum hasn’t kept pace. The implied volatility term structure has inverted again in tandem with these spot price movements, although longer-dated tenors remain relatively stable. Derivatives market indicators reflect strong positive sentiment: perpetual funding rates are consistently positive, open interest in futures contracts is rapidly increasing and options skew remains firmly positive.

Open interest in futures has surged, indicating heightened market participation and a growing interest in leveraged exposure due to recent price movements. Similarly, open interest in perpetual contracts has sharply increased, fueled by rising trader confidence and a growing demand for leveraged positions in light of recent market rallies. Meanwhile, the implied volatility term structure continues to invert in alignment with spot price increases, demonstrating a sustained correlation between spot prices and volatility.

Please check out the report’s highlights.

Futures Open Interest Reaches ATH Along With Price

Perpetual swap open interest has been increasing alongside futures, with a consistent rise in open positions over the past week reaching all-time high activity levels. This trend suggests that traders are actively pursuing leveraged exposure in response to the ongoing spot rallies, aiming to capitalize on the rising spot prices. Notably, there’s been renewed interest in Ethereum (ETH), reflected in rising trading volumes. 

Perpetual swap funding rates have reached exceptionally positive levels, indicating that long positions are confident enough to pay these rates to sustain their leveraged exposure. This trend has consistently been observed across all tokens, with a noticeable rise in funding rates since Nov 10, 2024. The persistently high funding rates highlight the strength of the bullish sentiment, which is also evident in the increasing open interest in futures contracts. This aligns with the recent spot price action, demonstrating significant upward momentum.

Option Volatility Term Structure Inverts 

The implied volatility term structure for Bitcoin has inverted amid the recent spot rallies over the past few weeks, indicating heightened market uncertainty and expectations of imminent price movements. However, levels haven’t exceeded the highs seen before the elections, and longer-dated tenors remain firmly range-bound. Concurrently, open interest in Bitcoin options has risen significantly, with a notable increase in put trading volumes. Open interest in puts has slightly surpassed calls, despite the persistently bullish market outlook indicated by the volatility smile skew.

block-scholes-x-bybit-report.jpeg

Bybit X Block Scholes Crypto Derivatives Analytics Report (Nov 20, 2024): Market Becomes Extremely Positive About Bitcoin as Volatility Curve Turns Invert

Learn how to join Bybit's VIP Program, where you can realize exclusive benefits — from up to 50% off trading fees and tailored interest rates to instant OTC trades up to $10M.

With the Bybit VIP Program, you can realize exclusive benefits — from up to 50% off trading fees and tailored interest rates to instant OTC trades, Bybit Card cashback and more. Joining the ranks of the very best traders on the platform will boost your profitability, raise your limits and offer access to VIP-only perks.

 and guides you through the steps to become a VIP trader and unlock exclusive benefits. Let's get started!

 is an exclusive club for the most esteemed traders in the crypto market. It’s designed to provide members an enhanced Bybit experience with numerous VIP-only benefits and perks. The program aims to reward avid traders who have high volumes, account equity levels and borrowing activities.

The Bybit VIP Program offers a multitude of benefits for members. These range from discounted trading fees and high limits for withdrawals and application programming interface (API) trades to priority Bybit customer support access, relationship managers and exclusive VIP events and meetups. You can find the full list of VIP exclusive benefits 

Requirements to Become a Bybit VIP Trader

You’ll need to fulfill a specific level for one of the criteria below to become a VIP trader on Bybit:

Bybit's VIP Program features six distinct tiers: 

. Each successively higher tier offers greater rewards, and also comes with more stringent qualification requirements. For instance, as a 

 trader, you’ll enjoy reduced trading fees, such as 0.03% for makers and 0.045% for takers in the spot market. To qualify for this exclusive tier, you must meet at least one of the following criteria:

Once you become a VIP trader, you must continuously meet the above criteria to maintain your Bybit VIP status and keep enjoying the benefits. 

However, this doesn't mean your account will immediately lose its VIP status and revert to standard after a single day in which you don’t meet the requirements. Bybit offers a 14-day grace during which you can continue enjoying VIP perks and benefits, even if you no longer meet the program's conditions. If the criteria are not met by the end of this period, your VIP status will automatically be revoked. However, if that occurs, you can regain your status by fulfilling the requirements for any VIP tier either during or after the grace period. When this happens, Bybit will grant you a new 14-day grace period.

How to Sign up to Become a Bybit VIP Trader

In the following section, you'll find a step-by-step guide that shows you how to join the Bybit VIP Program.

The first step to becoming a VIP trader is to open a Bybit account (if you haven't already done so). Simply 

 and fill out the form with your details. After registering, you’ll need to verify your account to enjoy the platform's full functionality.

Next, fund your Bybit account with crypto or fiat currency.

You can deposit cryptocurrencies by using the 

 menu. On the page, choose your desired coin and the blockchain where you'll be depositing the assets. To avoid any loss of funds, please always ensure that you're transferring crypto from the correct chain.

Next, copy-and-paste the wallet address displayed on the page, or scan the QR code with your smartphone's camera, and initiate the deposit from your wallet. After a few confirmations, your cryptocurrencies will be credited to your Bybit account.

To fund your Bybit account with fiat currency, click on the 

 button and select one of the available services (e.g., 

 service, choose a fiat currency, the deposit amount and one of the available payment methods. After clicking on 

, follow the instructions displayed on the next pages to initiate the transaction. Your funds will be credited to your Bybit account, with processing times varying according to your chosen service and payment method.

After you have a verified Bybit account funded with either crypto or fiat, perform eligible activity on the platform until you qualify for VIP status (see table below).

You can achieve VIP status by fulfilling a minimum level of VIP 1 in either of the following categories (

After becoming a VIP trader on Bybit, don't forget to maintain your VIP status to continue enjoying the exclusive perks and benefits.

If you have active VIP status at another crypto exchange, or your total MT5 trading volume meets Bybit's VIP criteria, you can apply for a VIP+2 upgrade. This upgrade will grant you VIP status on the platform — and instantly elevate it by two levels. (Please 

 that Bybit only considers 10% of any MT5 forex trading volume.)

 and submit your 30-day trading volume on your current exchange. Bybit’s VIP team will review your application, and a Relationship Manager will contact you if you're eligible for the VIP upgrade.

How to Get Started With a 20-Day Bybit VIP Trial

Another way to qualify for VIP status on Bybit is through a 20-day trial. Instead of fulfilling the requirements of the VIP 1 level, simply fund your account with $50,000 to enjoy the exclusive benefits of the program for 20 days with a VIP Trial Card (issued one day after your deposit). The VIP trial offer is available to users who haven't used a trial within the past two months.

To unlock the 20-day VIP trial, head to the 

 menu on Bybit and use one of the available payment methods to fund your account with $50,000 in assets.

With VIP Level-Up Tasks, you can earn generous bonuses as high as 6,000 USDT. You can claim rewards for Level-Up Tasks for five VIP levels (VIP 1, VIP 2, VIP 3, VIP 4 and VIP 5), with higher tiers offering greater bonuses upon completion.

If you're eligible, you’ll see a pop-up window with VIP Level-Up Tasks after you log into your account. To claim your rewards, complete the specified trading volume requirement within 14 days of receiving the task, and click on the 

 page. You can learn more about Bybit VIP Level-Up Tasks

Exclusive Trading Benefits Offered to Bybit VIPs

As a member of the Bybit VIP Program, you can unlock exclusive benefits to supercharge your trading experience. Among these are discounted trading fees (which can significantly boost your trading revenue), profitability and chances of winning trades.

In addition to discounted trading fees, you’ll also enjoy substantially higher API trading and withdrawal limits. While the former is restricted to 10 trades per second for non-VIP users, you can take advantage of up to 120 API trades per second as a VIP trader. Simultaneously, your daily withdrawal limit is increased from the basic 1 million USDT to as high as 12 million USDT.

 is an exclusive club that provides an enhanced service experience for the most esteemed traders. As a member, you can access a multitude of exclusive benefits and perks, such as the following:

Are you ready to supercharge your trading experience? 

Intermediate

bybit vip.png

How to Become a Bybit VIP: Your Guide to Exclusive Benefits

LETSTOP is a drive-to-earn mobile app that monitors phone distractions while driving. Learn more about how it works in this article.

Smartphone distractions have created an unprecedented road safety crisis worldwide. 

: texting behind the wheel makes drivers six times more likely to crash than drunk driving does — yet millions of drivers still use their phones while operating vehicles.

This article explores how LETSTOP is transforming safe driving into rewarding experiences through blockchain technology. We'll examine its drive-to-earn model, reward system, tokenomics and potential as both a road safety solution and an investment opportunity.

 is a drive-to-earn mobile app that monitors phone distractions while driving. Users earn STOP tokens for phone-free driving through a gamified system that transforms daily drives into rewarding experiences.

A life-changing car accident caused by a distracted driver running a red light inspired LETSTOP co-founder Almog Nissan to reimagine road safety. Together with co-founder and CEO Dor Levy, they envisioned rewarding safe driving, rather than just punishing dangerous behavior.

The founders built a platform that combines automotive technology, cryptocurrency and AI to revolutionize road safety through rewards. This innovative approach has quickly gained traction, with over 50,000 users logging over 3 million kilometers of safe driving since the app’s launch.

Distracted driving claims thousands of lives annually, with 

, of which 9% are directly linked to phone use. LETSTOP aims to tackle this crisis as follows:

Each of these objectives works harmoniously to support LETSTOP's ultimate mission of transforming road safety into a rewarding experience that benefits both individual drivers and society.

The LETSTOP app operates through a sophisticated system that monitors and rewards safe driving through the following apps and features:

The result is a dynamic system in which better driving habits unlock greater earning potential.

The following five core features power LETSTOP's drive-to-earn ecosystem.

LETSTOP uses a dynamic 40-level system to make safe driving rewarding. As drivers earn XP through distraction-free journeys, they advance from Level 1's 2% bonus toward Level 40's 70% boost. Through this gamified approach, daily commutes become opportunities to climb the ranks while building safer driving habits.

LETSTOP Credits are the core currency of the platform, earned directly through safe driving achievements. Earning rates directly scale with user level, vehicle type and subscription tier as follows: PRO subscribers enjoy unlimited earning potential, while PLUS and LITE tiers are capped at 300 and 150 monthly credits, respectively.

In the STOP Store, users invest their earned credits into virtual cars with unique earning multipliers. From the basic model's 2% bonus to the Jazzster GN's 150% boost, each vehicle offers different strategic advantages for maximizing rewards.

Beyond vehicles, the store features mystery boxes containing rewards from 10 to 450 credits, as well as car upgrades and subscription boosts. Users can also access a voucher marketplace to redeem credits for real-world rewards through LETSTOP's partnership network.

LETSTOP's triple-boost system combines vehicle multipliers for immediate earnings acceleration, a level-progression system for sustained growth and a 5% referral program for community expansion. Premium membership unlocks enhanced benefits across three tiers, while special events create time-limited opportunities for increased rewards.

The platform's comprehensive rewards system operates across three membership tiers, each one tailored to different user needs. LETSTOP PRO (at $9.90 monthly) offers unlimited credit earning potential and exclusive benefits. The PLUS tier provides a balanced option at $4.90 monthly with a 300-credit earning cap, while the free LITE tier allows users to earn up to 150 monthly credits.

Beyond direct earnings, the rewards system incorporates partner vouchers, cryptocurrency conversion options and community features, such as leaderboards. Achievement rewards recognize milestones in users' safe driving journeys, while the upcoming cryptocurrency integration will allow users to convert their efforts into tradeable STOP tokens.

LETSTOP has shown consistent progress, with the following key milestones already achieved:

Looking ahead to 2025, LETSTOP plans to implement the following key developments:

These developments aim to strengthen LETSTOP's position as a leader in drive-to-earn while furthering its mission to enable safer roads worldwide.

STOP is an SPL token built on the Solana network. It’s designed to bridge safe driving behavior with cryptocurrency rewards. The STOP token implements an annual halving mechanism to ensure long-term value preservation, similar to Bitcoin's model, but accelerated to align with the project's growth trajectory.

STOP has a max supply of 100 million tokens, to be distributed in the following manner:

The growing adoption of LETSTOP's drive-to-earn app and its impact on road safety directly influence STOP's price trajectory. While cryptocurrency forecasts remain speculative by nature, multiple price analysis platforms project the following for STOP:

These forecasts suggest a positive long-term outlook for STOP, driven by the growing drive-to-earn sector and LETSTOP's innovative approach to road safety. However, STOP's future value will ultimately depend upon user adoption, platform development and broader market conditions.

Looking to trade LETSTOP tokens? Bybit now offers the STOP/USDT Spot trading pair. To get started, you’ll first need to create a Bybit account, then fund it with cryptocurrency and navigate to the 

STOP shows promising potential in the drive-to-earn sector, though investors should carefully weigh both its strengths and potential risks before making investment decisions.

While STOP's innovative approach to road safety and its strong initial traction distinguish it in the market, potential investors should 

 and invest no more than they can afford to lose.

As smartphone distractions continue to endanger lives on roads worldwide, LETSTOP offers an innovative path forward. Through its innovative drive-to-earn model and STOP token ecosystem, the platform transforms daily commutes into safer roads and user earnings opportunities, showing how digital innovation can effectively “drive” positive behavioral change.

letstop, stop crypto.png

LETSTOP (STOP): Turning Daily Rides Into Profitable Journeys

Investing

Staking

Want close to 20% yield for staking stablecoins? Read on as we cover everything you need to know about Anchor Protocol and ANC tokens.

As with any type of investment portfolio, diversification is essential if you want your crypto portfolio to be balanced. By making sure that your portfolio is properly balanced and diversified, you’ll be able to protect against any unforeseen losses. If your current crypto portfolio is focused almost entirely on risky investments, one sharp decline in a single investment could lead to widespread losses if your other investments have yet to pan out.

On the other hand, having safe and steady investments in your crypto portfolio allows you to accrue consistent income that can mitigate any losses on riskier investments. With a diverse portfolio, it will also be easier for you to make gains in both bull and bear markets.

Even when the market is in a downturn and performing poorly, a diverse portfolio will provide you with at least small gains while you wait for the market to improve. This article takes a look at Anchor Protocol, Anchor crypto and why it’s the ideal staking protocol if you want to obtain safe yields.

Anchor Protocol is a popular savings protocol that’s based around the Terra blockchain. The Anchor Protocol coin (ANC) provides users with low-volatility yields of just under 20% when taking the Anchor Rate into account.

 and initially launched in March 2021. It was created in part to boost the overall demand for UST. Keep in mind that UST is the USD-pegged stablecoin from Terra. When the Anchor Protocol coin was first introduced, deposits could only be made in UST. However,

 was soon launched with the assistance of 

Users are now able to deposit various stablecoins based on Ethereum, which include BUSD, USDC, Dai and USDT. Yields for UST typically range from 19.5–20.5%, and revolve around the Anchor Rate, which is maintained by the platform. If you deposit other stablecoins, your yields would be around 16.5%. Even though these yields are high, they’re consistent, which makes this a great investment if you need to diversify your crypto portfolio. Once you place your money into Anchor Protocol, you’ll be able to borrow and lend your assets while earning interest on any of the currency you’ve deposited. This ultimately opens up possibilities for even higher yield as you explore various liquidity pool options. Curious about exploring this staking opportunity? Read on as we cover the fundamentals of how Anchor Protocol works.

Anchor Protocol runs on three primary mechanisms, which include loan liquidation, bonded asset (bAsset), and money market. A bAsset is a tokenized stake that’s situated on a 

 (PoS) blockchain. If you have a bAsset token, it effectively displays ownership of a PoS asset. Just like the underlying asset that you’ve staked, holding a bAsset will give you access to block rewards.

The main difference between a bAsset and a staked asset is that the bonded asset is fungible and transportable. What this means is that transactions can be completed with the bAsset in the same way that you would use the underlying asset to perform transactions.

Keep in mind that it’s possible for bAssets to be made on any PoS blockchain that’s equipped to handle smart contracts. In the time that Anchor Protocol has existed, bAssets have proven to be a key component of the platform because of how they are able to deliver consistent interest rates to any Terra deposits.

The money market that exists within Terra is a 

 smart contract that’s present on the Terra blockchain. This market facilitates borrowing and depositing of Terra stablecoins. As mentioned previously, the Terra stablecoin is UST. It’s important to understand that the money market acts as the foundation for the Anchor Protocol. Terra deposits are brought together to form a pool, which generates interest from any loans.

If you want to borrow from this pool, you’ll be tasked with using some of your digital assets as a form of collateral. The interest rate that’s generated from the pool of Terra deposits is calculated based on the current demand and supply from borrowers. You can determine what this rate is by looking at the current utilization ratio for the pool.

It’s possible for someone to take out a loan via the Terra money market by securing the right amount of collateral that can be provided in return for the loan. The interest rates for the depositor and borrower are based on an algorithm that’s maintained by Anchor Protocol. With this algorithm, interest rates for a loan are generated based on the current availability and borrowing demand.

Anchor Protocol has an interest rate objective that’s known as the Anchor Rate. In order for the desired Anchor Rate objective to be reached, the smart contract will intuitively divide the block rewards from the bAssets that are serving as collateral. These rewards are divided between the depositor and the borrower.

Rewards are liquidated into UST, which provides depositors with the ability to obtain deposit yields that reach as high as 20%. Keep in mind that the two bAssets that are currently recognized by Anchor Protocol include bETH and bLUNA. These assets are liquid, and can be used to borrow UST.

Is Anchor Protocol Sustainable at Such High Yields?

With a yield that’s as high as 20%, many potential users wonder about the sustainability of Anchor Protocol. While these yields are high and practically unheard of even with stablecoins, the yields are possible because of how Anchor Terra is structured. The Anchor Protocol coin is feasible because of its ability to accept bAssets as a form of collateral.

Since users who hold bAssets will obtain a constant yield via staking, the protocol itself receives a nearly constant stream of income, which incentivizes the use of this protocol. Along with the staking return that’s generated from any deposited bAssets, Anchor also obtains income from all of the interest that a user will be tasked with paying when they take out a loan. Since Anchor is able to bring in two income streams at the same time, the protocol can maintain its 20% yields, which are paid to UST depositors.

In the long run, however, there is a potential downfall to Anchor Protocol. Whenever the money market is deficient and is unable to make enough payouts during the year, Terra must take money from its own yield reserve. At current Anchor rates, Anchor Protocol is expected to have a deficiency of just under $9 million per year.

While the yield reserve grew temporarily in November 2021 because of an increase in staking earnings, it isn’t expected to grow for long. Since November, the deposits have continued to exceed earnings, which means that the yield reserve is being pulled from on a near-continual basis. The Terra yield reserve is currently at around $35 million, which has been cut in half since early December.

Keep this issue in mind before you invest in Anchor crypto. Even though there are steps that Terra could take to resolve this problem, it’s possible that your yield would decrease. Even though a small decrease in yield can be navigated in most situations, this drop could be the difference between making gains for the year or reporting losses.

While Anchor Protocol provides consistent yields of 20% that you can depend on because of the Anchor Rate, it begs the question – is Anchor Protocol safe? Overall, there are still some risks for you to be aware of even if you’ve been involved with the Terra ecosystem for a long time. These risks include everything from UST de-pegging to a potential crash in yields. While some of the following risks are unlikely to occur, it’s important to take into account their possibility so you’re aware of the risk you’re undertaking as an Anchor Protocol investor.

Because the value of UST is determined based on an algorithm — and is backed solely by the value of LUNA — it’s possible for the conversion ratio to differ from 1:1 in particularly volatile markets, which may make your Anchor crypto investment less stable than it should be. In order for UST to return to $1, LUNA will need to be burned for UST, which means that fewer LUNA will be available for selling.

Even though UST has remained relatively stable, it’s only been around since late 2020, which means that it hasn’t been tested extensively during volatile market conditions. During its brief existence within the Terra ecosystem, UST has encountered two notable drops in value, the worst of which occurred in December 2020 when it lost around 15% of its value before it recovered.

Even though the Terra ecosystem currently seems strong, there’s always a possibility that UST could drop in value and never recover. Another USD-pegged coin known as IRON saw its value drop to zero in 2021, even though it was officially backed by USDC. Although UST could potentially crash, the value of IRON dropped because the only use for this coin was yield farming. In comparison, UST is spread throughout the entire Terra ecosystem and is part of 

The main risk with decentralized finance involves human error, which could lead to successful attempts at hacking the platform. If Anchor Terra were hacked, the protocol and users could be at risk. Anchor Terra strives to mitigate this risk by performing regular security audits and by putting out an effective Bug Bounty Program.

The Bug Bounty program provides hackers who act in good faith with the ability to test Anchor Protocol for the purpose of detecting bugs. The broader Terra ecosystem offers anywhere from $500–$150,000 whenever a bug is discovered and reported, which incentivizes hackers to continue acting in good faith.

As for the security audits that occur with Anchor crypto, Terra has hired two audit companies to make sure that the protocol remains safe for all users. These companies perform audits on a regular basis to detect any security issues that might exist.

While Anchor crypto and the Terra ecosystem as a whole are strong platforms that make for sound investments, you can’t completely eliminate the possibility of a crash in yields. When an imbalance in borrowers and lenders occurs, the yields can fluctuate and put the entire system at risk.

In the event that the crypto market drops substantially in a short period of time, the individuals who have borrowed money from Anchor Terra are possibly at risk of losing all of their collateral. When the loans are liquidated, borrowers won’t be paying interest to the depositors, which places a considerable amount of pressure on the interest rate.

As mentioned previously, there’s always the possibility that the yield reserve could be depleted, which means that the 20% Anchor Rate couldn’t be paid to those who’ve deposited their assets. If this reserve ever runs out and isn’t subsidized by the Terra ecosystem, problems would likely occur immediately. Because yield reserves could be depleted, it’s important that you always keep an eye on the Anchor Protocol coin and its value.

Before you start worrying too much about your Anchor crypto investment, it’s important to understand that there are several things Terra can do to fix this issue. For one, Terra could inject money into the yield reserve, which they already did once in 2021. While this injection would eventually run out, it would allow depositors to continue receiving the 20% interest rate that they’re owed from investing in Anchor Terra. However, UST is currently worth well over $10 billion, which means that it’s unlikely that another injection by Terra will occur anytime soon.

Another solution that’s much more likely to occur is for Anchor Terra to reduce the yields that depositors receive from staking their assets on the platform. Even though the yield reserve has dropped quickly over the past few months, reducing the yield rate to 15–16% would likely allow expenses and income to break even. Since the average yield for a stablecoin is between 10–12%, a 15–16% yield with Anchor crypto would still be higher than most alternatives.

Now that you know about the risks that exist with Anchor crypto, it’s important to understand that you can mitigate these risks by purchasing Anchor Terra insurance plans. Crypto insurance has become increasingly sought after in these volatile times. Thus, Anchor Terra has partnered with third-party insurance providers who offer plans for the purpose of reducing the risks of de-pegging and smart contracts. Insurance can be purchased by effectively lowering your annual yields.

Even though the premium price for an insurance plan differs with each insurer, the average price is around 7.3% per year. Keep in mind that the insurer determines how much they pay out in the event that you file a claim, which means that there’s a risk the payout could be lower than you’d like. However, these insurance plans are a great way to lessen the amount of risk you take on when you invest in Anchor crypto, diminishing risks of fears of depegging and DeFi hacking.

If you’ve decided that you would like to invest in Anchor Protocol, there are some basic guidelines to be aware of. First, you’ll need to purchase LUNA currency, which can be done on Bybit by seeking out the 

. Once you’ve purchased the amount of LUNA that you would like to invest in the Anchor Protocol coin, you’ll then need to withdraw LUNA and send it to your Terra Station wallet, which is fairly straightforward.

From here, you’ll want to connect your wallet to the Anchor Protocol app, after which you’ll have the opportunity to deposit your LUNA assets to start earning yield. Because Anchor Protocol provides you with a safe yield, you won’t need to manage your investment once it’s been made. If you have yet to diversify your investment portfolio, the Anchor Protocol coin should help you provide your portfolio with a solid foundation that allows you to make crypto gains even when other investments aren’t performing as well.

Investing in Anchor Protocol coin is currently a great way to diversify your portfolio if you’re part of the Terra ecosystem. Because the Anchor Rate for this protocol is high, you can be confident that you’ll be provided with consistent returns. However, there are also some risks that you’ll need to take into account before investing in Anchor crypto. With the potential crash in yields, as well as the ever-present DeFi hacking risk, any investment you make in the Anchor protocol coin must be well-researched and monitored accordingly.

Is Anchor Protocol the Best Defi Staking Protocol for Safe Yields?

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards

Grab Up to 5,000 USDT in Rewards