This article is part of the Stablecoin Primer article series Section 4. If you are interested in reading the other articles, check out this post. Shallow dive format is as follows: Protocol -> Token(s) -> Design Principles -> Key Metrics -> Why use or mint UST? PROTOCOL UST is an algorithmic…

This article is part of the Stablecoin Primer article series Section 4. If you are interested in reading the other articles, check out this post. Shallow dive format is as follows: Protocol -> Token(s) -> Design Principles -> Key Metrics -> Why use or mint DAI? PROTOCOL DAI stablecoin is created…

This article is part of the Stablecoin Primer article series Section 4. If you are interested in reading the other articles in the series, check out this post. Shallow dive format is as follows: Protocol -> Token(s) -> Design Principles -> Key Metrics -> Why use or mint USDT? PROTOCOL USDT…

With so many stablecoins out there, which one works the best? This article is part of the Stablecoin Primer series. If you are interested in reading the other articles, check out this post. If you have come this far, you probably do not need this reminder but the same mental models mentioned in Section 3 applies here as well. If you…

Did someone say central bank on a blockchain? This article is part of the Stablecoin Primer series. If you are interested in reading the other articles, check out this post. Central bank on a blockchain is actually one of the most widely used analogies for algorithmic stablecoins, but more on that later. Two mental models Before we start talking about different…

So are people actually using stablecoins? This article is part of the Stablecoin Primer series. If you are interested in reading the other articles, check out this post. Indeed they are! And there are actually many signs of mainstream adoption. We are 7 years into the stablecoin journey and adoption has never been stronger. In reality…

Fiat money’s inflation, bitcoin’s volatility bug, and stablecoins’ prowess This article is part of the Stablecoin Primer series. If you are interested in reading the other articles, check out this post. Functions of fiat money Let’s start by looking at why we need money and how fiat money (e.g., US Dollar or Turkish Lira) lacks some of the features we desire from money…

Rower and slow cooker This article is part of the Stablecoin Primer series. If you are interested in reading the other articles, scroll to the bottom of this post. This year, when I went back home to Istanbul for the winter break, I was greeted by boxes of new stuff at my family house…

As a Turkish-American, I’ve first-hand experienced how stablecoins can provide a better alternative to previous forms of money. While fiat money (e.g., Turkish Lira) is plagued by inflation, most of the cryptos (e.g., bitcoin) have been too volatile to be used as a medium of exchange. Luckily, there are early…