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In May 2022, over billion Terra Classic – the 1.0 version of LUNA - tokens were issued and went into active circulation in a few days. The cryptocurrency’s built-in algorithm triggered this correction following the coin’s significant price drop that month. Terra’s algorithm would "burn" (permanently destroying) LUNA so that it created something else instead: TerraUSD (UST), a stablecoin within the same blockchain. This automated system was meant to keep the price of UST level, potentially avoiding economic sentiment. Because of this initial promise of stability, Terra and its two coins initially played a significant role in crypto lending.

The poster child of algorithmic stablecoins

Up until May 2022, TerraUSD (UST) was the biggest stablecoin that functioned with an algorithm. At the end of April 2022, the market cap of TerraUSD – now TerraClassicUSD – was *** times larger than what it was one month later, comparable in size to Binance USD. Algorithmic stablecoins are relatively new and, as most stablecoins, have an external asset as collateral. Several of the biggest stablecoins in the world, for example, are backed by real-world U.S. dollar assets, such as cash or securities. Others – such as DAI – rely on the backing of other cryptocurrencies, such as Ethereum (ETH). TerraUSD had little to no backing, relying on a closed ecosystem.

Reset or revival: The LUNA (2.0) aftermath

Terra got reset on May 28, 2022: A new *** coin released – taking over the Terra (LUNA) name - whilst the "original" crypto was abandoned and became Terra Classic (LUNC). TerraUSD (UST) remained but became TerraClassicUSD (USTC). Several of the *** LUNA holders, however, hoped for a different solution, rather seeing the (***) coin’s supply be bought back by the company who issued them. The company would then burn them, hopefully restoring the price of the original LUNA. Do Kown, the CEO of the Terra system, stated his company did not have the funds for such a big undertaking. He instead shared a blockchain address on Twitter where individuals could burn their tokens themselves. By June 2022, roughly ****LUNA tokens were destroyed that way – a burn rate of roughly percent compared to the overall circulating supply.