Why is a pool out of sync?
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A pool is out of sync when its internal spot price diverges from the same pair's price on other venues. This typically happens in low-volume or shallow pools where trading activity is insufficient to keep the price current.
Example: A DAI/CTN pool quotes 1 DAI = 0.00022 WCTN while other pools quote 0.00027 WCTN. The first pool's price is stale.
Arbitrage correction
Price divergence creates an arbitrage opportunity: a trader (often a bot) buys the underpriced token in the stale pool and sells it at the market price elsewhere, pocketing the difference. This activity pushes the pool back toward market price — but at the expense of anyone who deposited or swapped at the divergent price.
Consequence for LPs: Adding capital to an out-of-sync pool means minting a position at a price that does not reflect the market. Arbitrageurs will immediately trade against the mispricing, transferring value from the depositor to themselves. Avoid depositing into pools whose price materially diverges from the broader market unless you intend to arbitrage the difference yourself.