External Dependency Risk

Definition ∞ External dependency risk describes the potential for a digital asset project or protocol to be adversely affected by factors outside its direct control. These factors can include the performance of underlying blockchains, oracle failures, or the stability of linked fiat currencies. Reliance on external components introduces vulnerabilities that could disrupt operations or compromise asset security. Managing these dependencies is crucial for system resilience.
Context ∞ External dependency risk is a central concern for decentralized applications and protocols that interact with data or assets from other systems. For instance, a decentralized finance protocol relying on an oracle for price data faces risk if that oracle is compromised or provides incorrect information. Developers are working on robust redundancy measures and decentralized oracle solutions to mitigate these risks.