Liquidation Auctions

When a Maker Vault's collateralization ratio drops below the minimum, it gets liquidated. But unlike TradFi margin calls, Maker uses Dutch auctions — the price starts high and drops until someone bites. This is how the protocol recovers its debt without relying on a central party.

Dutch Auction Simulator

Watch a Maker liquidation auction unfold. The price starts above market and decreases over time until a keeper bids. The faster the bid, the more premium the protocol captures.

Market Price (ETH)
$2,500
Starting Auction Price
$3,250
Total Debt + Penalty
$56,500
Surplus / Deficit

Liquidation Pipeline

1
Price Drop

Oracle reports ETH price decline. Vault's collateralization ratio falls below the Liquidation Ratio (e.g., 150%).

2
Bark (Trigger)

Anyone can call Dog.bark() to flag the underwater vault. The caller receives a "tip" reward for initiating liquidation.

3
Dutch Auction

Clipper contract starts the auction. Price begins at a premium above oracle price and decreases over time via an exponential decay curve.

4
Keeper Bid

A keeper calls Clipper.take() when the price is attractive. They pay DAI and receive discounted collateral. Partial takes allowed.

5
Settlement

Debt is repaid to the Maker system. The 13% penalty goes to the Surplus Buffer. Any leftover collateral returns to the vault owner.

Keeper Economics

Adjust parameters to see when it's profitable for a keeper to bid in a liquidation auction.

Collateral Value
$50,000
Purchase Price
$47,500
Flash Loan Cost
$42.75
Net Profit
$2,407

Liquidations 1.x vs 2.0

Feature
Liq 1.x (legacy)
Liq 2.0 (current)
Auction Type
English (ascending bid)
Dutch (descending price)
Settlement
Auction must fully complete
Instant — take at any time
Partial Bids
❌ Not supported
✅ Take any amount
Flash Loan Compatible
❌ Multi-block process
✅ Atomic in one tx
Capital Required
Full upfront capital
Zero with flash loans
Price Discovery
Slow (6h+ auctions)
Fast (minutes)