Duration risk is not a meme. It is the single most underestimated threat in DeFi.
The Ethereum exit queue is the clearest example.
It has tripled to 45 days. That is not just a line. It is systemic risk.
The mechanics are simple. More validators want out than the protocol can handle. That bottleneck stretches time.
Time is risk. Because when assets cannot move, they cannot clear. And markets punish immobility.
stETH holds 86% of the LST market. $39B supply. Only $450M of AMM depth.
The peg holds because arbitrage funds step in. But the longer the queue, the weaker the arb. At some point, the math stops working.
A 45 day lock might look fine when ETH is calm. But in a drawdown, 45 days is forever.
A 3% haircut at 10x leverage wipes 15% of principal. Liquidations amplify the pain. DeFi has no easy buffer here.
The bigger the queue, the more funds try to front run the exits. That accelerates the problem.
What looks like a safety valve becomes a self reinforcing loop. stETH turns from collateral to liability.
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