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When an account’s maintenance margin surplus falls below zero, anyone can start a liquidation auction for it. The auction sells part or all of the account to bidders until it is healthy again.

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How the auction works

The MarginEngine liquidates through an on-chain Dutch auction.
  1. Start. Anyone can start the auction once mm_surplus_usd is below zero. A liquidation fee is charged to the account and paid to the security module.
  2. Bid. A bidder takes a share of the account, positions and collateral together, at the auction’s current price. The price falls over time, so the discount grows the longer the auction runs.
  3. End. The auction ends once the account is back above its buffer margin. Anyone can end it.
Liquidation can be partial. A bid takes at most the share needed to restore the account. An account whose value falls below a cutoff set on chain is liquidated in full.

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Insolvent accounts

If an account’s value is zero or less, the auction runs in insolvent mode. The security module pays bidders to take the account. Any shortfall it cannot cover is shared across the system.

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During an auction

  • Your account cannot trade. Fills against your resting orders are refused on chain and retried after the auction ends.
  • Your resting orders are not cancelled. Cancel them yourself if you no longer want them.
  • Liquidations move positions at the mark, outside the fill band.

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Who can bid

A bidder needs a subaccount under the MarginEngine that it owns and that holds only cash.

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Avoid it

Keep mm_surplus_usd well above zero. See Account health.