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Analyst Discussion: Ethena

Feb 23, 2024Ā ā‹…Ā  9 min read

Ethena, launched on February 19, presents a unique stablecoin approach by combining centralized and decentralized features to offer transparency, censorship resistance, scalability, and stability. The stablecoin, which mints USDe at a 1:1 USD ratio using stETH deposits, faces criticism and skepticism regarding decentralization, custody risks, and assumptions about positive yield. Analysts view Ethena both as a stablecoin and a structured product, highlighting its potential as a composable carry trade. Concerns include sustainability, competition with existing alternatives like DAI, and scalability challenges linked to ETH perpetual markets.

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Kinji is a former research analyst covering crypto at Morgan Stanley. His primary interests are DeFi, Infra, and unstable stablecoins.

Kunal previously worked in equity research and now considers himself a financial analyst in crypto. He specializes in valuation and bottom-up analysis for Layer-1 and DeFi protocols because he has yet to learn of a way to value NFTs.

Dustin was previously the Enterprise research director at Messari. He has a broad focus across crypto with a particular interest in AI x Crypto, Consumer financialization, DeFi, and general infrastructure.

Mentioned in this report

About the authors

Kinji is a former research analyst covering crypto at Morgan Stanley. His primary interests are DeFi, Infra, and unstable stablecoins.

Kunal previously worked in equity research and now considers himself a financial analyst in crypto. He specializes in valuation and bottom-up analysis for Layer-1 and DeFi protocols because he has yet to learn of a way to value NFTs.

Dustin was previously the Enterprise research director at Messari. He has a broad focus across crypto with a particular interest in AI x Crypto, Consumer financialization, DeFi, and general infrastructure.

Mentioned in this report