The Next Piece of the Stablecoin Pie: Ethena, Usual, and f(x)Protocol V2

According to CoinGecko data, the total market value of stablecoins has exceeded the $200 billion mark. Compared with last year when we mentioned

As the total market value of stablecoins surpasses the $200 billion mark, according to CoinGecko, the scene has shifted dramatically since our last discussion on this topic. With nearly double the overall market value, it has exceeded the previous all-time high.

In the past, I likened stablecoins to the crypto world's plumbing system. As a stable medium of value storage, they serve as a key entry point for various on-chain activities. Now, as stablecoins venture into the real world, their applications span retail payments, business-to-business (B2B) transactions, and international transfers. In emerging markets like Asia, Africa, and Latin America, the practical value of stablecoins is becoming increasingly evident.

Thanks to their strong financial inclusion properties, citizens in third-world countries can effectively navigate monetary instability brought on by government instability and high inflation. Stablecoins also enable participation in cutting-edge global financial activities, such as online education, entertainment, cloud computing, and AI products.

The next step for stablecoins is to enter emerging markets and take on traditional payment methods. In the foreseeable future, the legalization and rapid adoption of stablecoins will become an inevitability, while the rapid development of AI will further bolster the demand for stablecoins (computing power to the world's top 5). Compared to the developments in the past two years, the only constant is the continued dominance of Tether and Circle in this domain, with more startups shifting their attention to the upstream and downstream of stablecoins.

But what we're discussing today are still the stablecoin issuers. In this highly competitive trillion-dollar market, who stands to claim the next slice of the pie?1. Trend EvolutionIn the past, when discussing the classification of stablecoins, we generally categorized them into three types:

1. Fiat-collateralized stablecoins: These stablecoins are backed by fiat currencies (such as the U.S. dollar or the euro) and are usually issued at a 1:1 ratio. For example, each USDT or USDC corresponds to one coin stored in the issuer’s bank account. This type of stablecoin is relatively simple and straightforward, and in theory can provide a high degree of price stability.

2. Overcollateralized stablecoins: These stablecoins are created by overcollateralizing other high-quality crypto assets with high volatility and good liquidity (such as ETH, BTC). In order to cope with the potential risk of price fluctuations, these stablecoins often require a higher collateral ratio, meaning that the value of the collateral must significantly exceed the value of the minted stablecoin. Typical representatives include Dai, Frax, etc.

3. Algorithmic stablecoins: The supply and circulation of stablecoins are completely regulated by algorithms. This algorithm controls the supply and demand of the currency and aims to keep the price of the stablecoin pegged to a reference currency (usually the US dollar). Generally speaking, when the price rises, the algorithm will issue more coins, and when the price drops, more coins will be bought back from the market. Representatives include UST (Luna's stablecoin).

In the years since the collapse of UST, the development of stablecoins has mainly been micro-innovation around Ethereum LST, building some over-collateralized stablecoins through different risk balances. However, with the emergence of Ethena at the beginning of this year, stablecoins have gradually determined a new development direction, that is, combining high-quality assets with low-risk financial management, thereby attracting a large number of users through higher returns, in the relatively solidified stablecoin market. The situation creates an opportunity to snatch food from the tiger's mouth, and the three projects I mention below all fall into this direction.2. EthenaEthena is the fastest growing non-currency-collateralized stablecoin project since the collapse of Terra Luna. Its native stablecoin USDe has surpassed Dai with a volume of 5.5 billion US dollars and ranks third. The overall idea of the project is based on Ethereum and Bitcoin collateral. Delta Hedging, the stability of USDe is achieved by shorting Ethereum and Bitcoin on Cex with the same value as the collateral. This is a risk hedging strategy designed to offset the impact of price fluctuations on the value of USDe. If the prices of both increase, the short position will lose money, but the value of the collateral will also increase, thus offsetting the loss; vice versa. The entire operation process relies on over-the-counter settlement service providers to implement, that is, the protocol assets are managed by multiple external entities. The project's income comes from three main sources:

1. Ethereum staking income: The LST pledged by the user will generate Ethereum staking rewards

2. Hedging transaction income: Ethena Labs' hedging transactions may generate funding rates or basis spreads

3. Liquid Stables’ fixed rewards: deposit in the form of USDC on Coinbase or in other stable