The issuance and removal of MKR from the system is governed by a complex system of interdependent mechanisms designed to ensure that DAI is always fully collateralized by other cryptocurrency assets and its soft peg to the USD is maintained. There is no hard-coded limit on the total supply of MKR.
DAI’s value is secured by collateral — other cryptocurrencies that are deposited by users when minting new DAI tokens and stored in so-called vaults — [smart contracts](https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/glossary/smart-contract) on the Ethereum blockchain.
During price downswings, the value of crypto stored in the vault might become insufficient to fully collateralize the corresponding amount of DAI. In that case, the Maker Protocol automatically initiates the liquidation of the vault’s contents, the proceeds of which it uses to cover that vault’s obligations. If the amount of DAI generated during the liquidation is not enough, the Maker Protocol mints new MKR tokens to sell and cover the remaining sum, thereby increasing the total supply.
However, in some cases, the amount of DAI made from the auctions exceeds the necessary limit to ensure full collateralizations — then, it is used by the Maker Protocol to buy back and burn MKR tokens, decreasing their total supply.
Thus, the supply of MKR is a dynamic value that changes depending on market conditions and the overall health of the DAI ecosystem. As of October 2020, the circulating supply of Maker tokens is about 1 million, worth more than $500 million.