CryptosBeginner
Timeline graphic including the 2022 Terra collapse

Dead, abandoned and obsolete · Protocol failure

TerraUSD and original LUNA

TerraUSD was marketed as an algorithmic stablecoin that would stay near one US dollar through LUNA. In May 2022 that mechanism failed. Later US cases targeted Terraform Labs and Do Kwon.

Protocol failureConfirmed enforcement actionConfidence: high

What happened

In May 2022 UST lost its peg and LUNA hyperinflated. Common sourced ranges for the break are about $40 billion to $45 billion, not a precise $60 billion figure. In December 2025 Do Kwon was sentenced to 15 years in prison for fraud offences connected to the Terraform cryptocurrencies.

What failed

The peg did not have durable reserves sufficient to absorb a run.

Current status

The original UST/LUNA economic design is dead. LUNC and Terra 2.0 are not a restored peg.

What users should do

  • Do not confuse LUNC or Terra 2.0 tokens with restored UST value.

Lessons

  • A token that still trades can still represent a failed product.

Primary sources