MakerDAO has enacted a series of temporary fee increases aimed at shoring up its DAI stablecoin as recent market volatility has caused DAI’s reserves to dwindle. The moves come after DAI’s supply dropped from $5 billion to $4.4 billion over the past week.

While DAI remains overcollateralized, the protocol is exposed to potential liquidity issues since some collateral is held in real-world asset vehicles. If sell pressure on DAI continues, it could trigger a liquidity crunch.

To stabilize the protocol, MakerDAO approved fee hikes taking effect on March 10th:

– Increasing the DAI savings rate from 5% to 15%

– Raising stability fees on core vaults by 9-10% each  

– Adjustments to Spark DAI Effective Borrow APY and Peg Stability Module fees

The changes are meant to be temporary, though no automatic reversion is set. While seen as a step in the right direction, some worry the extent of the hikes is too large and could disrupt markets.

The dramatic moves underscore the challenges of maintaining a stablecoin peg during periods of crypto volatility and shifting market dynamics.

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