<p>In the wild world of DeFi, where money is just code and leveraged ponzi schemes are a way of life, sometimes things go a bit... sideways. And we find ourselves once again with a tale as old as time. Well, as old as 2008 at least. It's a story of leverage, liquidity, and a romantic twist between crypto whales.</p>
<p>Today's protagonist in this ever-entertaining crypto soap opera is Kujira. For those unfamiliar, Kujira is the cool kid on the DeFi block, known for crafting DeFi tools so elegant, they have to close-source them.</p>
<h3>The Setup: Leverage, thy name is Trouble</h3>
<p>Imagine you're at a casino. Not just any casino, but a DeFi casino where the chips are fake money, the stakes are high, and the house... well, the house decided to join the game. That's essentially what happened when Kujira decided to spice things up by leveraging their Foundation treasury positions. Because why manage other people's money when you can gamble with it, right?</p>
<p>Spoiler alert: The market didn't get the memo about Kujira's preferred direction and decided to take a different route. Suddenly, the borrowed liquidity <a href="https://x.com/rarma_/status/1818917616188375172">found itself trapped in a hostage situation</a> of a margin call. Oops.</p>
<p>But here's the kicker - this wasn't just any old leverage. It wasn't just Kujira's play money. Oh no, this was leverage built on the hopes, dreams, and, more importantly, the funds of their users. It's like borrowing your friend's car to enter a demolition derby - exciting, sure, but with a high probability of awkward conversations afterwards.</p>
<h3>The Dilemma: To Liquidate or Not to Liquidate</h3>
<p>So, what's a DeFi protocol to do when faced with such a crossroads? Option A: Liquidate the position and face the music (a sad trombone, to be precise). Option B: Orchestrate a bailout, because nothing says "decentralized finance" quite like a good old-fashioned rescue operation.</p>
<p>Option C, beloved by what our narrator colorfully describes as "devcels from the cosmos circus" - try the time-honored governance tradition of the community pool money grab - was off the table. Kujira, bless their hearts, had already told that particular brand of financial "decentralized" gymnastics to take a hike long ago. How very punk rock of them.</p>
<p>In a move that surprised absolutely no one who's been paying attention, Kujira <a href="https://x.com/teamkujira/status/1819717451350777870">went for Option B</a>. Because in crypto, we don't do boring – we do bailouts with style.</p>
<p>Now, here's where it gets interesting. While their community was busy practicing their best "The Scream" impressions, the Kujira team showed Crisis Management 101. They reassured the public with all the calm of a zen master, hinting that white knights were queuing up to help, checkbooks at the ready. It was crisis management so smooth, like watching a swan glide across a lake – all serene on the surface, while those little webbed feet were probably paddling like crazy underneath.</p>
<h3>Enter the Aussie Hero</h3>
<p>While the community was busy debating the merits of a bailout with all the inherent calm and rationality of CT threads, enter stage left: <a href="https://www.jpthor.com/">JP Thor</a>, the eccentric Australian founder of Thorchain, industry heavyweight, and self-proclaimed "cosmos OG", riding in on his proverbial white kangaroo to save the day.</p>
<p>Thor, in a move that would make even the most daring corporate raider raise an eyebrow, <a href="https://x.com/jpthor/status/1820177654332465553">offered to provide his own liquidity</a> to solve Kujira's problem.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/img/newsroom/2024/kujira_penetration_thor_tweet.png"></p>
<p>The details of the deal are about as clear as the recipe for Coca-Cola, but we're told it's a "<a href="https://winkhub.app/posts/kujira-recovery-plan-thorchain-partnership">strategic partnership</a>". Thor gets access to Kujira's brilliant DeFi tech and their enviable community, and Kujira gets a lifeline to Thor's apparently bottomless pockets of liquidity.</p>
<p>The only question left hanging is just how deep did the Aussie penetrate Kujira's cap table? Kujira, formerly proud of its independence from VCs, might now find itself with an unexpected bedfellow. But in DeFi, as in life, debtors can't be choosers.</p>
<h3>The Not-So-Hidden Lessons</h3>
<p>Because every crisis is a learning opportunity, what pearls of wisdom can we extract from this drama?</p>
<ol>
<li>
<p>Reputation is the new collateral: When your track record isn't littered with scams, rug pulls, and community pool misuse, people actually want to keep doing business with you. Who knew? Sure, everyone makes mistakes, but it's the quality of those mistakes that counts. In Kujira's case, their past good behavior seems to have earned them a "Get Out of Leverage Jail Free" card.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Cool under pressure is the new hotness: While everyone else was running around like headless chickens, Kujira's team kept their composure tighter than their smart contracts. In an industry where "crisis management" usually means deleting your Twitter account, this is refreshingly adult.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Don't bite off more risk than you can chew: It's an age-old truth, but apparently one that bears repeating in the DeFi world. Because in crypto, if you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space, right? But the cliff you're moving over may be too deep. Yes, your sterling reputation might help you weather a crisis, but the price tag on that weather-proofing could be steeper than FTX's debt.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<h3>The Moral of the Story</h3>
<p>In conclusion, whether Kujira emerges from this adventure smelling like a rose or with a slight whiff of singed fur remains to be seen. But one thing's for certain - in the world of DeFi, where every day is a new episode of "The Hunger Games", Kujira has just written a chapter for the history books.</p>
<p>If you're still reading this for investment tips (insert obligatory DYOR disclaimer here), I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. So, if "follow the money" is still a thing (and when isn't it?), and if one can signal to the market with transactions, well... let's just say I voted for increasing The Church's Kujira allocation.</p>
<p>But remember, I'm just a guy writing a newsletter, not your financial advisor. Be sure, in the world of DeFi, it's not about the destination – it's about the friends you liquidate along the way. Stay safe out there, kids. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go check if my leveraged positions are still solvent. Wish me luck!</p>
<hr class="hrHigh">
<em>UPDATE 13/08/2024, SMOKING ROOM</em> — An alternative opinion has been published: <a href="/newsroom/opinion/risk-management-101-keeping-powder-dry">RISK MANAGEMENT 101: KEEPING POWDER DRY</a>


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