Curve Finance’s native currency, CRV, is making a remarkable comeback, defying the turbulence it experienced in August. As of September 22, CRV has surged by 22% over the past two weeks, with an impressive 10% increase in the last week.
Interestingly, this resurgence coincides with increased activity from a cryptocurrency whale who recently moved a substantial amount of CRV from Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange by client count. The whale, known only as “0x171,” transferred a hefty 1.542 million CRV, equivalent to approximately $684,000, from Binance. Following this transfer, 0x171 actively supplied liquidity to Curve Finance.
Over the past week, 0x171 has continued to provide liquidity to Curve Finance, contributing a substantial 5.36 million CRV, valued at $2.27 million. CRV serves as the governance token within CurveDAO, the decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) responsible for Curve Finance. CRV holders wield voting rights and receive rewards for supplying liquidity to the platform’s various pools.
Curve Finance operates on an automated market maker (AMM) model, facilitating trustless swaps of stablecoins, including DAI, USDT, and USDC, as well as other tokens such as ETH and wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC). However, the effectiveness of Curve Finance relies on liquidity pools, where users contribute funds and receive a share of the fees paid out in CRV.
The recent withdrawal of CRV tokens from Binance to a non-custodial wallet signifies a vote of confidence in CRV’s potential. The token experienced a significant downturn in Q3 2023, with a sharp 32% drop in August alone. This decline was exacerbated by the broader crypto market contraction, driven by diminishing momentum surrounding complex derivatives approval for Bitcoin and Ethereum. Additionally, regulatory actions, particularly from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), notably impacted sentiment and token prices.
CRV’s downward spiral can be directly attributed to an exploit of multiple Curve Finance liquidity pools in late July 2023. In a re-entrancy attack, a hacker took advantage of a vulnerability in an older version of the Vyper compiler, siphoning over $61 million worth of tokens from Curve Finance’s pools. Despite the subsequent patching of the vulnerability by Curve Finance, CRV prices struggled to recover, even as the recent surge unfolded.
Furthermore, Curve Finance’s co-founder and CEO, Michael Egorov, had to liquidate a substantial portion of his CRV holdings, which he had used as collateral for loans on various platforms, including Aave. By early August, Egorov had conducted over-the-counter (OTC) trades, selling 106 million CRV at discounted rates to multiple entities. Notable buyers included Justin Sun, co-founder of Tron, who acquired 2 million CRV, and Jeffrey Huang, who purchased 3.75 million CRV.
In conclusion, CRV’s recent revival amidst a challenging landscape and the presence of active whales underscores its resilience and potential for growth. The cryptocurrency market’s unpredictability continues to present both opportunities and risks, making it crucial for investors to stay vigilant and informed.
