What Is the Concept of “Rehypothecation” in DeFi and Its Associated Risk?
Rehypothecation is the practice of an institution (or protocol) using a client's collateral for its own purposes, such as lending it out to another party. In DeFi, this means collateral deposited in one protocol is used as collateral in another.
This creates a highly leveraged, interconnected web where a small price drop can trigger a massive, simultaneous wave of liquidations across multiple layers.