Auto-Deallocating (ADA)
Auto-Deallocating is Flux's mechanism to protect liquidity providers during periods of extreme vault utilization by allowing controlled reduction of healthy-but-risky manager positions.
What is ADA?
Auto-Deallocating (ADA) is a protective measure that allows a vault to close out manager positions when:
The vault has extremely high utilization (typically ≥95%)
The manager's position is healthy but approaching liquidation zone
LPs need liquidity but managers aren't repaying voluntarily
Key Characteristics:
Manager is not liquidated (they're still solvent)
Manager receives their full net equity back
Vault regains liquidity to serve LP withdrawals
Only executed by designated ADA Manager (typically vault creator or protocol)
Optional - can be permanently disabled when vault is created
ADA vs. Liquidation:
Trigger
Health < liquidation threshold
Health between liquidation & ADA threshold
Executed By
Anyone (permissionless)
ADA Manager only
Manager Outcome
Loses position + liquidation penalty
Receives full net equity
Purpose
Prevent bad debt
Free up liquidity
Vault Condition
Any utilization
High utilization (≥95%)
Profit for Executor
Yes (liquidation bonus)
No (break-even)
Why ADA Exists
The Liquidity Crunch Problem
Consider this scenario:
Without ADA: LPs cannot withdraw and are stuck waiting indefinitely for managers to voluntarily close positions.
With ADA: Vault creator can force-close positions (returning manager's equity) to free up liquidity so LP withdrawals can succeed.
ADA is LP Protection
ADA ensures that LPs can eventually get their capital back, even when:
Managers are technically healthy
Vault is fully utilized
Withdrawals would otherwise fail
It prevents LPs from being held hostage by managers who won't close positions voluntarily.
How ADA Works
Eligibility Conditions
A position can be ADA'd only if ALL of these conditions are met:
1. High Vault Utilization
Example:
2. Position Health Below ADL Threshold
Example with Strategy Parameters:
3. Position Still Has Positive Equity
If netEquity ≤ 0: Position is underwater and should be liquidated instead.
ADA Parameters
Defined in the strategy contract:
The ADA Zone:
ADA Execution Flow
Step-by-Step Process
1. ADA Manager Identifies ADA Opportunity
2. ADA Manager Prepares Executor
The ADA Manager needs an executor with a callback to handle position unwinding:
3. Execute ADA Transaction
4. Vault Executes ADA
Inside the vault's executeADL function:
What Happens to Each Party
Manager (being ADA'd):
All positions closed
Debt repaid in full
Receives net equity in vault's base asset (in working capital)
Can withdraw net equity immediately
Loses future earning potential from position
No penalties or fees
ADA Manager (executor):
Receives all manager positions
Unwinds positions to base asset
Pays
trueDebt + managerNetEquityback to vaultIdeally breaks even (no profit, no loss)
May incur gas costs and slippage
Vault / LPs:
Receives debt repayment
Gains liquidity
Can service LP withdrawals
Loses future interest from that manager
ADA Manager Role
What is an ADA Manager?
The ADA Manager is a designated address (typically the vault creator or protocol governance) that can execute ADA operations.
Key Responsibilities:
Monitor vault utilization
Identify ADA-eligible positions
Execute ADA when needed to free liquidity
Unwind positions with minimal slippage
Return manager's equity fairly
Access Control:
ADA Manager Options
Option 1: Vault Creator as ADA Manager (Most Common)
Pros:
Vault creator has incentive to maintain vault health
Responsive to LP needs
Can act quickly
Cons:
Centralization risk
Requires vault creator to actively monitor
May have conflicts of interest
Option 2: Protocol Governance as ADA Manager
Pros:
More decentralized
Trustworthy for LPs
Protocol-level oversight
Cons:
Slower response time (multisig)
May not prioritize individual vault needs
Option 3: Automated ADA Bot
Pros:
Fastest response
24/7 monitoring
No human intervention needed
Cons:
Bot can be exploited if not secure
Requires funding for gas
May execute suboptimally
Option 4: No ADA Manager (Disabled)
Use Cases:
Vault creator wants pure market dynamics
Immutable vaults prioritizing predictability
Low-utilization vaults that don't need ADA
ADA in Different Strategy Types
Immutable Strategy
Characteristics:
ADA parameters locked forever at deployment
LPs know exact ADA trigger conditions
Vault creator decides whether to set ADA manager
Mutable Strategy
Why ADA params are immutable:
Changing ADA threshold could surprise managers
LPs rely on predictable ADA protection
Risk parameters should be stable
Flexible Margin Strategy
Why disabled?:
Flexible margin vaults are typically single-user
Manager = LP in most cases
No need for forced deleveraging
Manager can close position whenever they want
Use Cases and Examples
Example 1: High Utilization LP Withdrawal Crisis
Scenario:
ADA Manager Action:
Example 2: Preventing Bank Run
Scenario:
ADA Manager Strategy:
Outcome:
Vault stabilized at 80% utilization
LPs can withdraw without queues
Managers received their equity (no unfair liquidations)
Vault creator maintains trust
Example 3: Gradual Deleveraging
Scenario: Vault creator wants to gradually reduce risk during uncertain market conditions.
Benefits:
Reduces vault risk over time
Doesn't shock managers with sudden mass ADA
Maintains adequate liquidity for LPs
Spreads gas costs over time
ADA Implementation Guide
For Vault Creators
1. Decide on ADA Strategy
Parameter Selection:
Conservative
0.15 (15%)
0.90 (90%)
Earlier ADA, more LP protection
Balanced
0.10 (10%)
0.95 (95%)
Standard config
Aggressive
0.05 (5%)
0.98 (98%)
Let managers maximize leverage
2. Set ADL Manager
3. Monitor Vault Health
4. Execute ADA When Needed
For ADA Managers (Executors)
Building an ADA Executor
ADA Monitoring Bot
ADA Best Practices
For Vault Creators
Do:
Set ADA parameters appropriate for your vault's risk profile
Monitor utilization regularly
Communicate ADA policy clearly to LPs and managers
Execute ADA fairly (lowest health first)
Document when and why you'll use ADA
Don't:
ADA managers to punish them (unfair)
ADA when utilization is healthy (unnecessary)
Change ADA manager frequently (undermines trust)
Execute ADA with excessive slippage (hurts manager)
Forget to fund your ADA executor for gas
For Managers
Do:
Understand the vault's ADA parameters before depositing
Monitor your health ratio to stay out of ADA zone
Keep vault utilization in mind
Accept that ADA is fair (you get full equity back)
Have a plan for receiving net equity after ADA
Don't:
Assume you'll never be ADA'd
Let health drift into ADA zone during high utilization
Fight or complain about fair ADA execution
Borrow from vaults with unfair ADA policies
For LPs
Do:
Understand the vault's ADA protection
Check if vault has an ADA manager
Verify ADA parameters match your risk tolerance
Appreciate ADA as liquidity protection
Don't:
Deposit in vaults with ADA disabled if you need withdrawal flexibility
Expect instant withdrawals during extreme utilization
Assume ADA will always save you (bad debt can still happen)
Comparison: ADA vs. Other Mechanisms
ADA vs. Liquidation
Trigger
Health in ADA zone + high utilization
Health below liquidation threshold
Executor
Designated ADA manager
Anyone (permissionless)
Manager Outcome
Receives full net equity
May receive net equity minus penalty
Executor Profit
Break-even (no profit)
Liquidation bonus (0-20%)
Purpose
Free liquidity
Prevent bad debt
Vault Condition
High utilization required
Any utilization
When to use each:
ADA: Vault needs liquidity, manager is healthy but risky
Liquidation: Manager's position is truly at risk of bad debt
ADA vs. Forced Withdrawal
Some protocols have "forced withdrawal" where LP can liquidate a manager. Flux separates these:
Who Executes
Vault-level ADA manager
Individual LP
Coordination
Centralized, efficient
Decentralized, chaotic
Fairness
All LPs benefit equally
First-mover advantage
Gas Costs
Single executor
Every LP pays
Slippage
Optimized by ADA manager
May be rushed
Flux's approach is more efficient because:
Single ADA manager can optimize unwinding
No race condition between LPs
All LPs benefit proportionally from freed liquidity
Lower total gas costs
ADA vs. Interest Rate Adjustments
Time to Effect
Immediate
Gradual
Mechanism
Force close positions
Incentivize voluntary close
Manager Choice
None
Yes
Complexity
Simple
Complex (IRM curves)
Emergency Response
Effective
Slow
Best practice: Use both
Normal times: Adjust rates to encourage borrowing/repayment
Emergency: Use ADA to quickly free liquidity
Technical Reference
Events
Errors
View Functions
Summary
Auto-Deallocating (ADA) is Flux's liquidity protection mechanism that allows vaults to force-close healthy-but-risky positions during high utilization.
Key Takeaways:
Purpose: Free up liquidity for LP withdrawals when vault is highly utilized
Fair to Managers: They receive their full net equity back (no penalties)
Controlled: Only designated ADA manager can execute
Conditional: Requires both high utilization AND position in ADA zone
Optional: Vault creators can disable or customize ADA parameters
ADA protects LPs from being unable to withdraw during high utilization periods, while treating managers fairly by returning their full equity.
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