December 5, 2023

Bitcoin Recovery

How the Terra Ecosystem Survived a Crash and Bounced Back⁠⁠

Bitcoin is regaining its positions after the TerraUSD (UST) crash in 2022. The Bitcoin price (BTC) has surpassed $42,000 for the first time since May 2022, returning to levels preceding the crash of the TerraUSD (UST) ecosystem and the Luna (LUNA) token. Despite last year’s collapse, the Terra ecosystem is back in the spotlight, thanks to the short-term surge in tokens associated with this platform.

Token Rehabilitation in Terra: 80–300% Growth in a Few Weeks

Tokens closely tied to the Terra ecosystem, such as Luna Classic (LUNC), Terra 2.0 (LUNA), and TerraUSD (USTC), have demonstrated impressive growth ranging from 80% to 300% in recent weeks, according to Coinmarketcap data. This surge is the result of several events, including a $15 million investment in the Terra ecosystem, plans to stabilize the stablecoin’s value, and a token burning program for LUNC on the Binance exchange.

Risks and Lessons from TerraUSD: Crash and Recovery

In the spring of 2022, TerraUSD (UST) and Luna (LUNA) faced serious difficulties when UST lost its peg to the dollar, experiencing a sharp decline to $0.05. The stablecoin crash, with a market capitalization exceeding $18.5 billion, had a negative impact on the crypto community, resulting in losses of up to $60 billion.

The LUNA token also suffered, with its price dropping from $80 to $0.00013 after an increase in token issuance to 6.9 trillion. This period led to the closure of the hedge fund Three Arrows Capital and affected crypto lenders Voyager Digital and Celsius Network. Over time, Terraform founder Do Kwon faced accusations and an arrest warrant was issued.

Future Outlook: Extradition and Regulation

After a lengthy legal process, the Supreme Court in Podgorica approved Do Kwon’s extradition at the request of authorities in South Korea and the USA. This event could be a pivotal moment in the legal proceedings, and according to the director of the Bureau of Financial Crime Investigation, Do Kwon risks spending a significant part of his life behind bars, starting in South Korea and potentially ending in the USA.

In summary, the crypto community is closely monitoring the situation, and the lessons learned from TerraUSD serve as a reminder to investors about the importance of caution in the cryptocurrency investment space.