Liquidation

Liquidation is the process of selling collateral to cover the amount of UUSD a user has generated from their Vault. Liquidation is the process of selling collateral to cover a user’s generated UUSD. A Vault can be Liquidated if the value of its collateral falls below the required minimum level, called the Liquidation Ratio. During the Liquidation process, enough collateral is sold to cover the debt along with a Liquidation Penalty, leaving the remaining collateral available for withdrawal.

Why does Liquidation exist?

UUSD is a proxy for the US Dollar, with the additional benefit of being fully backed by real value in the form of various collateral assets. Liquidation helps to ensure that UUSD is always backed by an appropriate amount of collateral by closing-out Vaults that are under their minimum required Collateralization Ratio for their given collateral type.

Who triggers Liquidation?

To make sure that the required surplus of collateral exists at all times, a class of users called Keepers are incentivized to maintain a constant watch for Vaults that become under-collateralized. These Keepers are a special category of Universel Protocol users. They are the actors in the system who are incentivized to make sure that the outstanding UUSD supply remains fully collateralized and solvent. They help maintain the health of the entire ecosystem by ensuring that undercollateralized Vaults are offered up for Liquidation as quickly as possible. This is particularly important during rapid market downturns as the collateral value could be subject to slippage.

What is the Liquidation Ratio?

The Liquidation Ratio is the minimum required collateralization level for each Vault type before it is considered undercollateralized and subject to Liquidation. The Universel Protocol’s Oracles provide the system with pricing data that is used to track Vaults for when their Liquidation Ratio is breached. Once breached, they are available for Liquidation.

For example, a Vault with a 150% Liquidation Ratio will require a minimum $1.50 of collateral value for every $1 of UUSD generated. If the value of the collateral falls to $1.49 it will be Liquidated to cover the generated UUSD in addition to a fee called the Liquidation Penalty.

What is the Liquidation Penalty?

This is a fee that is paid by owners when their Vaults are Liquidated. The fee is added to the Vault’s total outstanding generated UUSD when a Liquidation occurs, which results in more of the collateral being sold on.

What happens during a Liquidation?

The simplified order of operations looks like this:

• A Keeper detects an undercollateralized

  and triggers a Liquidation.

• All of the collateral is put up for auction to cover the outstanding UUSD + Liquidation Penalty

• Once bids reach the UUSD amount equaling to the outstanding UUSD + Liquidation Penalty, the auction reverses and bidders now compete by offering to accept less collateral for the UUSD they bid in the previous phase.

• Once the auction completes bidders receive the sold collateral, the winning bidders UUSD is burned, and the Vault owner receives leftover collateral if any remains.

How much Collateral is left after a Liquidation?

Since Liquidations occur through, there is no way to accurately predict the exact amount of collateral one would receive.

How do I calculate my Liquidation Price?

The Liquidation Price for a given is usually shown on front-ends that offer Vaults. Though one can manually calculate their Liquidation Price by using the following simplified formula:

(Generated UUSD * Liquidation Ratio) / (Amount of Collateral) = Liquidation Price

(1000 × 1.5 ) ÷ (10) = 150 USD

Your ETH would need to fall to 150 USD before the Vault is considered undercollateralized by the system.

How do I calculate my Collateralization Ratio?

The Collateralization Ratio for a given is usually shown on front-ends that offer Vaults. Though one can manually calculate their Collateralization Ratio by using the following simplified formula:

(Collateral Amount x Collateral Price) ÷ Generated UUSD × 100 = Collateralization Ratio

(10 x 300) ÷ 1000 × 100 = 300%

The Vault in this example has a Collateralization Ratio of 300%.

How do I lower my Liquidation Price?

The most efficient way a user can lower their Liquidation Price is to repay UUSD. This also has the added benefit of reducing the Interest rate that accrue for the owner of the Vault. This can be proven by the following example:

(Generated UUSD x Liquidation Ratio) ÷ Collateral Amount = Liquidation Price

Current Liquidation Price:

(1000 × 1.5 ) ÷ (10) = 150 USD

Liquidation Price change by adding 400 USD worth of collateral:

(1000 × 1.5 ) ÷ (12) = 125 USD

Liquidation Price change by repaying 400 UUSD:

(600 × 1.5 ) ÷ (10) = 90 USD

What are typical practices to avoid getting Liquidated?

condition is the Vault owner’s own responsibility. Ensuring that assets remain safe from Liquidation is entirely in the hands of each Vault owner. Below are some common practices to monitor the health of a Vault:

• Set up price alerts for the collateral asset(s) being used.

• Set up a personal rule that would require them to unwind their Vaults if the collateral price falls below a certain level, this may act as an additional buffer.

• Make sure they have adequate access to their Vaults, especially during volatile periods in the markets.

• Keep note of their Vault’s number. They can use it as a reference to have an external party payback UUSD or add collateral on their behalf if they don’t have immediate access to their Vault.

• Make sure they have access to emergency funds or assets that can be readily used to pay back UUSD or add more collateral to their positions.

Remember that opening a Vault and generating UUSD represents the creation of risk. Vault owners should be very cognizant of this fact and should use Vaults at their own risk.