In a recent announcement dated April 10th, Backpack CEO Armani Ferrante highlighted significant developments in their trading platform amid heightened market volatility. The system load has reached unprecedented levels, prompting Backpack’s team to enhance infrastructure to accommodate the increasing demand from investors. Ferrante emphasized the resilience of the platform’s risk management engine, indicating that it will undergo rigorous testing as the market landscape evolves. While there are no assurances of perfection, he remains confident in its vital role within Backpack’s operational framework.
Reflecting on his experience at Alameda Research, Ferrante noted the critical lessons learned from the FTX collapse, particularly the importance of robust risk management and fund custody. To address these challenges, Backpack is committed to establishing a secure and transparent risk framework for asset protection. Notably, the platform avoids operating a proprietary market maker, eliminating conflicts of interest that could lead to user liquidations. Instead, 99.82% of liquidations occur directly on the order book, promoting equity among traders.
Armani detailed a comprehensive three-step liquidation approach that includes order book liquidation, supplementary liquidity support, and automatic deleveraging strategies. This structured methodology aims to mitigate market impact while implementing safeguards such as phased liquidation and price protection bands, ultimately enhancing user confidence in the system and promoting fair trading practices.