A crypto-collateralized stablecoin is issued against crypto assets pledged or locked as collateral, usually through smart contracts and usually with collateral worth more than the stablecoins created.
Crypto-collateralized stablecoins use volatile digital assets as backing. Because collateral values can fall quickly, these arrangements commonly require overcollateralization and automatic liquidation when collateral ratios breach defined thresholds. The issuance process is often protocol-based: users lock eligible collateral, mint stablecoins subject to system rules, and later repay or redeem according to the protocol design. The quality of the stability mechanism depends on collateral liquidity, price feeds, liquidation capacity, governance, and market incentives.
Crypto collateral remains exposed to market volatility and liquidation risk. Fiat-backed stablecoins generally rely on an issuer-managed reserve portfolio and a separate redemption process.
The collateral structure determines how losses are absorbed during market stress and how much price volatility the system can withstand before liquidations begin.
A protocol may require $150 of eligible crypto collateral before allowing a user to mint $100 of stablecoins.