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🪙 Tokens & Assets

Reserve

Assets held to back a token, obligation, or redemption promise

Definition

Reserve means assets held to back a token, obligation, or redemption promise. In DeFi, the concept matters because it affects risk, return, liquidity, governance, or execution assumptions.

Reserve is a DeFi term used to understand assets held to back a token, obligation, or redemption promise.

Example

A fiat-backed stablecoin may hold cash and short-term Treasury bills as reserves.

1

How it works

In practice, the concept shows up like this: A fiat-backed stablecoin may hold cash and short-term Treasury bills as reserves.

2

Why it matters

Reserve matters because small misunderstandings can turn into bad pricing, liquidation, governance, custody, or smart-contract risk.

3

What to check

Inspect backing, redemption paths, liquidity, issuer assumptions, and stressed-market behavior. The main checks are: Insufficient reserves; Opaque reporting; Custody and counterparty risk.

Risks to Consider

  • Insufficient reserves
  • Opaque reporting
  • Custody and counterparty risk

Common Questions

What does Reserve mean in DeFi?

Reserve means assets held to back a token, obligation, or redemption promise.

How is Reserve used in practice?

A practical example: A fiat-backed stablecoin may hold cash and short-term Treasury bills as reserves.

What should I check before relying on Reserve?

Inspect backing, redemption paths, liquidity, issuer assumptions, and stressed-market behavior. The main checks are: Insufficient reserves; Opaque reporting; Custody and counterparty risk.