What Is DAI [DAI]?
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DAI is an Ethereum-based stablecoin (stable-price cryptocurrency) whose issuance and development is managed by the Maker Protocol and the MakerDAO decentralized autonomous organization.
The price of DAI is soft-pegged to the U.S. dollar and is collateralized by a mix of other cryptocurrencies that are deposited into smart-contract vaults every time new DAI is minted.
It is important to differentiate between Multi-Collateral DAI and Single-Collateral DAI (SAI), an earlier version of the token that could only be collateralized by a single cryptocurrency; SAI also doesn’t support the DAI Savings Rate, which allows users to earn savings by holding DAI tokens.
Multi-Collateral DAI was launched in November 2019.
Who Are the Founders of DAI?
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One of the defining features of DAI is that it wasn’t created by any single person or a small group of co-founders. Instead, the development of the software that powers it and the issuance of new tokens is governed by the MakerDAO and Maker Protocol.
MakerDAO is a decentralized autonomous organization — a kind of company that runs itself in a decentralized manner via the use of smart contracts — self-enforcing agreements expressed in software code and executed on the Ethereum blockchain.
This organization is managed democratically by the holders of its Maker (MKR) governance tokens, which act similarly to a traditional company’s stock; MKR holders can vote on key decisions regarding the development of MakerDAO, Maker Protocol and DAI, with their voting power being proportionate to the amount of Maker tokens they own.
MakerDAO itself was originally founded by a Danish entrepreneur Rune Christensen in 2015. Before starting work on the Maker ecosystem, Christensen studied biochemistry and international business in Copenhagen and founded the Try China international recruiting firm.
How to Generate Dai?
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Dai is the second-largest decentralized stablecoin by market capitalization, having been flipped recently by Terra’s native stablecoin — UST. Both are backed by cryptocurrencies and pegged to the Dollar, while the top stablecoins like USDT, USDC and BUSD are backed by traditional assets such as cash, corporate bonds, U.S. treasuries and commercial papers (which has come under increased scrutiny in the case of USDT). So what exactly is Dai backed by? The Dai stablecoin is a collateral-based cryptocurrency soft-pegged to the U.S. dollar. Users generate Dai by depositing crypto-assets into Maker Vaults on the Maker Protocol. Users can access Maker Protocol and create Vaults through Oasis Borrow or other interfaces built by the community. On Oasis Borrow, users can lock in collateral such as ETH, WBTC, LINK, UNI, YFI, MANA, MATIC and more. Users can then borrow against their collateral in Dai, as long as it is within the collateral ratio, which ranges from 101% to 175%, depending on the risk level of the asset locked.
What Makes DAI Unique?
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DAI’s main advantage lies in its soft peg to the price of the U.S. dollar.
The crypto market is notorious for its volatility with even the largest, highly-liquid coins such as Bitcoin sometimes experiencing price changes (both up and down) of 10% or more within a single day. Under these circumstances, traders and investors are naturally predisposed to add safe-haven assets to their portfolios, whose stable price might help offset significant market fluctuations.
One such kind of asset are stablecoins, of which DAI is one example. These are cryptocurrencies whose price is pegged to assets with a relatively stable value — most commonly traditional fiat currencies, such as USD or EUR.
Another key advantage of DAI is the fact that it is managed not by a private company, but rather by a decentralized autonomous organization via a software protocol. As a result, all instances of issuance and burning of tokens are managed and publicly recorded by Ethereum-powered self-enforcing smart-contracts, making the entire system more transparent and less prone to corruption.
In addition, the process of developing DAI software is governed in a more democratic way — via direct voting by the regular participants of the token’s ecosystem.
How Many DAI [DAI] Coins Are There in Circulation?
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New DAI tokens are not produced via mining like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), nor are they minted by a private company according to its own issuance police like Tether (USDT). Instead, new DAI can be minted by any user via the use of Maker Protocol.
Maker Protocol, which runs on the Ethereum blockchain, is the software that governs DAI issuance. In order to maintain the soft price peg to the U.S. dollar, Maker Protocol ensures that every DAI token is collateralized by an appropriate amount of other cryptocurrencies. As part of this process, the Protocol allows any user to deposit their crypto into a so-called vault — a smart contract on the Ethereum blockchain — as collateral and mint a corresponding amount of new DAI tokens.
There is no upper limit on the total supply of DAI — the supply is dynamic and depends on how much collateral is stored in the vaults at any given moment. As of November 2020, there are around 940 million DAI in circulation.
How Is the DAI Network Secured?
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DAI is an Ethereum-based, ERC-20-compatible token. As such, it is secured by Ethereum’s Ethash algorithm.
Where Can You Buy DAI [DAI]?
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The purchase of DAI tokens is available on numerous online platforms. These include Decentralized Finance (DeFi) token swap protocols:
* Uniswap
* Compound
And traditional cryptocurrency exchanges:
* Coinbase Pro
* Binance
* OKEx
* HitBTC
The Crash of Algorithmic Stablecoins and its Impact on DAI
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Although DAI was the first of its kind, it began to lose market share to emerging alternatives in the last bull market, especially Terra's UST – now called TerraClassicUSD. UST, unlike DAI, is an undercollateralized and algorithmic stablecoin tethered to the U.S. dollar. However, without sufficient collateral and due to the algorithmic design, the stablecoin and underlying Terra, now TerraClassic, token were unable to shield themselves from an aggressive sell-off. In the end, the entire Terra ecosystem caved in, wiping over $18 billion off UST's $18.6 billion market cap after the crash. Read our full breakdown of the Terra crash.
Unsurprisingly, the slump of UST had a massive impact on other stablecoins, including DAI. Although DAI managed to maintain its peg to the USD, there was a steep drop in its market capitalization from $8 billion to $6.33 billion. However, once the token found its floor, it began to experience a surge in demand for DAI, which later caused a DAI token to sell for a premium (slightly above $1).
While the crash of UST threatened the validity of algorithmic stablecoins, the performance of DAI during this stretch may suggest that not all hope is lost for decentralized stablecoins. It also highlights the importance of the over-collateralization of stablecoins.
Related Pages:
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Read about Tether (USDT) — another popular stablecoin whose price is pegged to the USD.
Check out the CoinMarketCap blog.
Read more about the crypto space on CMC Alexandria.
What is Blockchain?
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Blockchain is a decentralized and distributed ledger technology that securely records transactions across multiple computers in a verifiable and permanent way. It forms the underlying technology for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and enables transparency, security, and immutability.
What is Cryptocurrency?
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Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual form of currency that uses cryptography for security. It operates on decentralized networks, typically based on blockchain technology, and facilitates secure and transparent peer-to-peer transactions.
What is Bitcoin?
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Bitcoin is the first and most well-known cryptocurrency, created in 2009 by an anonymous person or group known as Satoshi Nakamoto. It operates on a decentralized peer-to-peer network and is used for secure, transparent, and censorship-resistant transactions.
What is the difference between Bitcoin and Altcoins?
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Bitcoin is the original and most widely recognized cryptocurrency, while altcoins refer to any other cryptocurrencies besides Bitcoin. Examples of altcoins include Ethereum, Ripple (XRP), Litecoin (LTC), and many others.
What is Staking?
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Staking involves participants locking up a certain amount of cryptocurrency in a wallet to support the operations of a blockchain network. It is commonly associated with proof-of-stake (PoS) and delegated proof-of-stake (DPoS) consensus mechanisms, where participants receive rewards for helping secure the network.
How Can I Stake Cryptocurrency?
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To stake cryptocurrency, you typically need to choose a platform or network that supports staking. Transfer your tokens to a compatible wallet, follow the staking instructions provided by the platform, and lock up the desired amount of cryptocurrency. Once staked, you may start earning rewards.
What Are Staking Rewards and How Are They Calculated?
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Staking rewards are incentives provided to participants who lock up their cryptocurrency to support the network. The amount of rewards varies and is influenced by factors such as the network's inflation rate, the total amount staked, and the specific rules of the staking protocol.
Can I Unstake My Cryptocurrency at Any Time?
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The ability to unstake and withdraw your cryptocurrency depends on the specific staking protocol and network. Some platforms may have lock-up periods or unbonding periods during which your staked tokens are inaccessible. Always check the terms and conditions of the staking service.
What are the Risks of Staking?
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Staking comes with risks, including the potential loss of staked funds if a participant behaves maliciously or fails to fulfill their responsibilities. Market volatility can also impact the value of staked tokens. It's crucial to thoroughly research the staking protocol and understand the associated risks.
Can I Lose Money by Staking?
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While staking is designed to be a rewarding activity, there is a risk of losing money, especially if the value of the staked cryptocurrency decreases or if the staking protocol encounters security issues. It's important to consider both the potential rewards and risks before participating in staking.